The Girl behind the Shirshu
by Mac171100
Summary: So I got this crazy idea that goes something like this: What if June's shirshu was actually a shape shifting girl?... Avery is a girl with an odd gift. Well, more of a curse. She turns into a shirshu. She was claimed by June, is 'renamed' Nyla, and has been serving as her side-kick. When Prince Pouty and Uncle Lazy come for their help, she runs away to travel with them.
1. Chapter 1

_**I don't own A:TLA**_

I ran along the ground at a pace that seemed to impress June. I dodged trees with ease, following the scent of the run away man, ignoring the many other smells. I ran up down a boardwalk and leapt on board a ship.

"Get back! We're after a stow away!" June yelled. I felt a surge of happiness and gratefulness that she said 'we' instead of 'I'. It's isn't easy being a teenage girl and a shirshu so being noted was a confidence booster.

"There are no stowaway's on my ship!" a teenage boy yelled. A man that smelled of ginseng was staring at June oddly. I felt a protective snarl rip through me and I ripped a piece of the deck off and threw it, sticking my head through the hole I made. I sniffed around and the stowaway fell out of a barrel. He whimpered and ran, jumping out of the hole. I whipped my head up and slammed him in the back of the neck with my tongue. He dropped like a stone. June hopped off my back and walked forward.

"He's paralyzed." the teenager muttered in awe.

"Only temporarily. The toxins will wear off in about an hour. But by then, he'll be in jail and I'll have my money." June said. If I could pout in shirshu form, I would. Not 'we' and 'our' but 'I' and 'my'.

"But how'd you find him on my ship?" The teenager asked. I looked at him as June threw the man onto the saddle on my back and patted my side.

"My shirshu can smell a rat a continent away." June said, mounting. I felt sadness wash over me. I'll always be a stupid beast to her, won't I?

"Well, I'm impressed." I heard the old man say. I let out a sob but as a shirshu, it sounded like a snarl. June cracked a whip on my shoulder and I yelped, jumping off the ship and onto the dock. I ran.


	2. Chapter 2

**_I don't own A:TLA but I do own Avery (Nyla) and some yummy banana bread..._**

I waited until June entered the bar before I ran into the nearby woods. I shifted into a human girl and collapsed on the ground, crying. My shoulder was raw and bleeding with whip marks and I was sore from carrying them around all day. I don't know why I even tried to impress her anymore. She'll never see me as anything but a dumb beast to order around. I wiped my eyes and sat up, hugging my knees to my chest, watching the trees. I sighed and leaned back against a tree trunk. I hated being part shirshu. How the heck did that happen anyways? Bestiality? I stood and went to find my spare human clothes. It was a plain black jumpsuit. I wrapped on some bindings and slipped on the jumpsuit. I walked into the bar. I sat down next to June at the counter and ordered a whiskey.

"Aren't you too you young for alcohol?" June asked me.

"Aren't you too drunk to care?" I retorted, grabbing my shot from the table and knocking it back. June laughed.

"What's your name, kid?" She said.

"Avery." I told her.

"I'm-."

"I know who you are, June." I said, cutting her off sharply. She quirked an eyebrow with a slight smirk.

"Another two!" June barked at the bar man. He nodded and slid two mugs over. June picked up one and nudged the other to me. I picked it up and we clinked mugs.

"To what ever is worthy of a toast." I said. June grinned and we chugged down our drinks. I wiped my mouth and smiled at her slightly. I winced slightly as my shoulder was jostled by a passing man and looked at my shoulder. I swore. Blood had seeped through my sleeve.

"I have to go." I said.

"Wait, let me help you. Come to the back. I'll patch up your shoulder and give you some actual clothes." June said. I blinked at her in surprise but nodded. I followed her into the back.

~{~}~

"And you're all done." June said. She walked over to a bag and looked through it before tossing me a small shirt.

"This is an old shirt. It should fit you well enough." June said. I smiled at her thankfully and pulled it on. It was tank-top-esq at the top but it was loose and ended above my belly button.

"Thanks, June." I said. She nodded. She stared at me for a second before smirking.

"You have the same eyes as my shirshu, Nyla." She said. I raised an eyebrow and stood.

"Thanks?" I said. She nodded. June told me she'd take care of my shirt. I nodded and headed for the door. I paused in the doorway, one foot outside.

"Oh, and June?" I began. Said Bounty Hunter looked up and I looked her straight in the eye.

"I can talk to animals. Your shirshu isn't named Nyla." I said. June gave me an amused look.

"You sure you aren't drunk?" June asked. I frowned.

"I can hold my alcohol." I said sharply.

"Riiiiight. So if Nyla isn't my shirshu's name, what is?" June asked. I gave her an amused look.

"Avery." I said. I quickly stuck out my tongue and booked it out of the bar.

~{~}~

I stuffed June's shirt into a pouch and pulled off the shorts she had given me in there too. I then crawled under the saddled and shifted into a shirshu. I curled up and leaned against the bar wall. The teenager and the old man from before appeared from seemingly nowhere. I lifted my head and watched as they walked in. This would end interestingly.

~{~}~

June came out awhile later, the teenager and his uncle following close behind. June leaned against my side and she gave me a side long glance of curiosity.

"I need you to find someone." the teen said. June leaned forward to examine it before smirking.

"What happened? Your girlfriend run off on you?"

"It's not the girl I'm after. It's the bald monk she's traveling with." the teen said. If I could smirk, I would've.

"What ever you say." June said, rolling her eyes.

"If you find them, I'll consider the damage to my ship payed for." Zuko said. June scoffed and went to mount.

"Forget it." June said.

"Plus, we'll pay your weight in gold!" the uncle exclaimed. June froze before hopping off me.

"Make it your weight and we've got a deal." June said, poking the uncle in the chest. He chuckled.

"You got it!" He said. June snatched something from the teen's hand and said, "Get on!"

I felt the man and his nephew climb up on my saddle as June held the object in front of my face. It was a Water Tribe necklace. I registered the smell to memory. I looked her in the eye and nodded. She seemed surprised but jumped into the saddle as I took off.

~{~}~

I charged into an abandoned courtyard thingy and a cat hissed. An old woman stood and looked at us. From the look in her eye, I could tell she was insane. I waited patiently for June to give me the command to go on. The purple haze from the necklace floated lazily in the breeze and I watched it swirl.

"Out for a bit of fresh air, are we?" The crazy lady said.

"We're looking for someone." Zuko said.

"Well, I hope it's not Miyuki." The woman said. "Miyuki, did you get in trouble with the Fire Nation again?"

_'Oh Agni.'_ I thought as the cat meowed.

"The avatar's been through here. Let's keep moving." June said. She took out her whip but I took off before she could use it.

~{~}~

I charged into another village, and people began screaming in fear. I followed the trail of scent, hopping over a roof top or two to get to a pile up of scent. An old woman stood by the scent, a light green haze surrounding her.

"Why are we stopping?" Zuko asked.

"Because the girl must've spent a lot of time here." June replied. She was mostly right. I also needed to take a break from running.

"We have no time for this!" Zuko yelled. He jumped off of me and snatched the purple-hazed necklace from June. He held it in front of me and I snarled. _Jerk hole, I'll go when I want! _I wanted to yell. Instead, I lashed out with my tongue. He ducked under and then glared.

"Watch it!" He exclaimed. June and Iroh laughed.

"Oh look, he likes you." She said. Hold on... '_he_'? I am not a dude! I glared at her as Zuko climbed back onto my saddle.

"Care to hear you fortune, handsome?" The old woman asked the uncle.

"At my age, there is really only one big surprise left, and I'd just as soon leave it a mystery." Iroh said happily. June whipped my shoulder and I began running again, heart aching.

~{~}~

I crashed through the doors of an abbey and nuns gasped, looking up from their crafting. I turned towards the doors again and snarled at the purple haze.

"We're getting close." June told them. I took off into the forest.

~{~}~

I weaved through the trees and the purple haze became more apparent. I jumped over a small hill and into a ravine, right behind two people. I backed them into a corner and realized that the purple haze highlighted her. Zuko jumped off the saddle and stood parallel to my head.

"Do this is your girlfriend. No wonder she left. She's way too pretty for you." June said. Zuko ignored her.

"Where is he? Where's the avatar?" Zuko interrogated.

"We split up. He's long gone." the male said. He seemed to be purple girl's brother.

"How stupid do you think I am?" Zuko snarled in question. The brother grinned.

"Pretty stupid. Run!" He yelled. The siblings didn't make it far before I prayed to Angi for forgiveness and whipped them with my tongue.

"What are we supposed to do now?" Zuko thought aloud angrily. A light blue haze made me look to the brother.

"It's picking up another scent. Something that the avatar held." June said, urging me forward. I felt my heart pain worsen. '_IT_'?! Seriously?! I walked forward a nudged a scroll from the brother's pack and it rolled onto the ground. A blue haze swirled around it before spiraling off into the sky.

~{~}~

I busted through the doors of the abbey again. Nuns scattered and his behind jars but my attention was focused on following the blue haze. I walked in a circle, following the blue.

"What's it doing? It's just going in circles!" Zuko yelled. Again with the 'it'? I cried but it came out a snarls. I looked up with blurry eyes to see the avatar dicing at me. He slammed me with air and I tipped back, sending my passengers flying.

"Aang!" the girl cried excitedly. June stood and cracked her whip in front of my face.

"Up!" She commanded. I yelped and stood. June hopped on and I charged at the young avatar. I went to whip him but something slammed into my side and sent me into a wall. I groaned and rolled to rest on my knees. I saw that it was a Sky Bison and that he did _not_ look pleased. June laid near me. Iroh ran over from the side lines and knelt by June. He patted her cheek and her eyes flew open. She sat up and stood. She whipped at my feet and I growled, standing fully.

"Come on!" She yelled, hopping on my back again. I charged at the Sky Bison. It flew over my head and I whipped one of it's six legs. He fell to the ground and groaned before standing. I was surprised that he could handle the toxins but then again, he _was_ a ten-ton bison. June whipped me and I ran forward at the same time as the bison. We crashed heads and June was launched from the saddle. She flew over the Sky Bison's head and managed to whip him as she went. She landed on the ground and rolled out of the way as the Sky Bison stomped where her head once was, cracking the ground. I turned to the avatar and jumped onto the roof as the bison was distracted. The avatar gasped and ran back up the roof and ran away. I followed hot on his heals. The Sky Bison turned and air bent the roof behind me off. I jumped off the roof after him and dove through some sort of fountain. I leapt up onto the opposite roof and jumped over a freshly made hole in the roof. The bison went after Zuko but I whipped him on the forehead. The bison roared and glared at me. I lashed out twice more and the bison collapsed. I felt bad for the bison but turned to the avatar, prepared to attack. I was then 'blinded' by colors. I screamed in pain and June hopped off trying to calm me down. I lashed out twice, striking two people, and collapsed in fetal position. I shifted into a human girl and blacked out.


	3. Chapter 3

_**I don't own A:TLA. In this chapter, you'll see an animalistic human Avery/Nyla. And you get a hint for a future friendship.**_

I awoke to a melodic pounding in my temples. I groaned and clutched my skull, curling farther into myself. My bindings coiled like springs and I gasped,sitting up straight. I was in human form. The avatar, his friends, and practically anyone who could actually move, was staring at me in awe. The avatar took a step forward but I backed away with a growl worthy of my shirshu persona.

"I'm won't hurt you." He said. I scoffed.

"That's what June said to 'Nyla'. And look where that got me." I said, shifting to expose my bloody shoulder. He grimaced. He extended a hand and I whimpered, crawling backwards.

"You're a girl. You're not a shirshu." He said.

"I _am_ a shirshu!" I yelled in defense. The avatar quirked an eyebrow.

"How?" He asked. I backed farther away.

"Why should I tell you?" I retorted. "You're a _human_."

"And so are you!" He replied. I blinked in surprise. He _had_ a point. I shook my hid to rid of the thought.

"I'm no human. I may have human in me, but I'm a shirshu!" I tried to explain. Well... At least it made sense in my head.

"Come with us." He said. I cocked my head to the side and stood.

"What?" I said.

"Come with us. You won't be abused anymore. You'll be free. And if you don't want to travel the whole way with us, we'll drop you off somewhere." He said. My breath caught on the word 'free'.

"Free..." I breathed. I clutched my hands together and my eyes watered as I shook my head.

"I belong to June. I'm her shirshu. She needs me." I said. The avatar frowned.

"She doesn't _need_ you, she's using you." he said. A tear ran down my cheek and I let out a small sob.

"No... No. No no no!" I cried, clutching my head. I sank to my knees and sobbed. A light hand touched my shoulder and my head whipped up. The avatar looked at me kindly. He sank down to me and gave me a hug.

"Come with us." He whispered. I pulled away from him and looked to June sadly. She stared at me sadly. I gasped slightly, realizing I had paralyzed her. I crawled back from the avatar and shook my head.

"I can't." I said. I bowed. "It was an honor to meet you, Avatar."

"Aang." He said.

"What?"

"My name is Aang." He said. "What is yours?"

"Avery." I told him. He nodded and stood.

"I'll see you again, Avery." He said before gliding away on silent feet. I crawled over to June, Zuko, and Iroh. I poked Iroh and frowned.

"You aren't paralyzed. Get away from my June." I said. Iroh gave me a look. I growled and then dug my nail into June's neck. I spat into the wound and she rolled off of Iroh, jumping to her feet.

"How'd you do that?" She asked, rubbing away my spit.

"Which part. The whole shape-shifting thing or unparalyzing you?" I said.

"Both!" She said. I shrugged.

"I can paralyze so it's natural to have to do the opposite. The shape-shifting is classified. And no, bestiality was _not_ involved." I said. Iroh sat up and looked to Zuko.

"May you please fix my nephew?" Iroh asked. I frowned. I turned to see the avatar's bison long gone. My chance of freedom was long gone.

"I'm _not_ licking him." I said. June brought out her whip and I snarled. I tackled and scratched her. I spat on the cuts and she was once again paralyzed.

"I'm _done_ with taking orders from _you_, June." I said, slipping off of her. I glared at Iroh.

"I bite. Stay away from her." I said. He blinked up at me and I looked to Zuko. I knelt beside him and his eyes moved to glare at me.

"Do. Not. Lick. Me." He said. I shrugged.

"Fine, stay frozen." I said. He groaned.

"_Fine!_" he said.

"Agni, you act like I _want_ to." I said. I leaned over him and scratched his neck over the pulse. I licked the wound and sat back. Zuko rolled to his feet. He lit his palm up and aimed it at me. I whimpered and crawled backwards.

"You will help me find the avatar." He snarled.

"No!" I cried.

"You have no choice anymore. You should have gone with the avatar." Zuko sneered. I growled, anger over taking me.

"I deserve my freedom. I'm not some dog to tote around and show off as a trophy." I snarled. Zuko's hand lit up more. He wound up to throw a fireball but Iroh stepped in his way and grabbed his hands.

"Zuko!" Iroh scolded. "What is _wrong_ with you?! You do not go around and collect slaves or prisoners without reason!"

"But I do have a reason! To find the avatar!"

"Ever considered that I don't want to?" I yelled.

"What you want isn't important!" Zuko yelled. I snarled, flipped over Iroh, and tackled Zuko. I raised my hands to show off my claw-like nails.

"You want to be permanently frozen, Pouty? Do you?!" I yelled. His eyes widened.

"That's what I thought." I said. "You _will_ do as I say or you'll loose the ability to move, got it?"

"Depends on what it is." Zuko said. I twitched my hand and he shut up.

"You'll take me aboard and you'll take me to the avatar. Deal?" I said. He frowned but nodded. I stood and helped him up. I grabbed his wrist and made a small cut on his palm. He tried to pull his hand away but couldn't get out of my grip. I cut my hand before holding our cut hands together.

"What are you doing?" He asked, again trying to pull away.

"It's a blood seal on our deal. Now you have no choice but to follow through unless I feel like I want the deal to be broken." I said. A small flash of light flashed between our hands and I pulled away, palm completely unharmed. Zuko looked at his hand.

"How exactly did that work? Shirshu's can do that?" Zuko asked.

"I don't know why I do it but I know how. Our bloods swapped and a bit of a special toxin transferred into your blood stream. So, if you break our deal without me giving the okay, you'll be permanently paralyzed in excruciating pain." I said cheerfully. I helped Iroh up and looked him over.

"You don't need a blood contract." I said. "Now one of you give me something of yours quickly."

"Why?" Zuko asked.

"So I can use it to find your ship." I said. Zuko grabbed something from Iroh and held it to me.

"What is this?" I asked curiously, opening the top. I yelled in pain as perfume exploded into my 'sight'. Something hard hit the back of my head and I blacked out.


	4. Chapter 4

_**I don't own A:TLA.**_

When I awoke again, the pounding had returned. I sat up too quickly and instantly regretted it. I groaned and clutched my head. i was still human. I looked around slightly and saw that I was in a cell like room. I frowned. _Bastard_, I thought bitterly. The door suddenly slammed open and I saw a guard.

"Come with me." He said. I stood shakily and followed him out warily, ready to attack if necessary. He led me into a hallway and I was hit with the smell of sweaty men. I followed the guard to a room and he knocked. I heard screaming from inside. I smirked slightly. Without waiting for a reply, I slammed the door open and strode over to where Zuko lay paralyzed on his bed.

"I _told_ you I wasn't kidding." I said. I sat on the edge of his bed.

"Everyone, out. Or he stays like this." I said. They left. I cut my pointer finger with my nail and leaned over Zuko. I held my cut finger to his parted lips and let the blood drip into his mouth. After a few seconds, his screaming stopped. I held my hand there a moment longer before pulling my hand away. He sat up a stared at me.

"Your blood contract _works_." He said, awed. I rolled my eyes.

"I hadn't noticed. Thanks for pointing that out." I said sarcastically. I winced slightly and looked down at my hand. I had cut deeper than intended.

"You okay?" He asked. I nodded and stood.

"If that is all..." I said, standing to leave. Zuko lashed out and grabbed my wrist. I turned, wide eyed, and stared at him.

"I-I... Uh... Never mind." He said. I quirked my eyebrow and tugged on my hand slightly. He let go off my wrist and I went to walk away again.

"Wait!" Zuko said. I turned.

"Yes?" I asked.

"Stay. I want to talk to you." He said. I quirked an eyebrow. "That's an order."

"Riiiight." I said. I looked to the door and said, "I know you're standing there, Iroh! Go away!"

"How-"

"I'm a shirshu. Enhanced hearing." I said. I sat on the ground and cradled my sliced finger.

"What is it?" I asked.

"Explain to me how you are part human and part shirshu." Zuko said.

"I don't know. And even if I did, that is _none_ of your business." I said. Zuko frowned.

"How don't you know?"

"Do you know why you were born a boy? Or why you were born into the Fire Nation? Or why you were born a prince?" I looked him in the eye. "Do you know why Azula was the lucky one? Do you know why you are lucky enough to be alive? Do you know why your father-"

"Stop!" Zuko said. I dropped my gaze to the floor with a guilty expression. "How did you know about all of that?"

"I could hear you discussing while I was unconscious. I heard you muttering in your sleep from my prison cell. 'My dad said Azula was born lucky. He said I was lucky to be born.' and then you said something about the avatar." I said. His good eye widened.

"And while were discussing personal matters, how'd you get that scar?" I asked. He frowned.

"That's none of your business." He snapped harshly. I shrugged.

"Okay." I said.

"What?" Zuko said.

"What? You said it wasn't my business, so I stopped asking. Simple as that." I said. "Besides, you answered with the hurt in your eyes. Your father gave you that."

"How do you know that?" Zuko asked. I shrugged.

"I've always been good with people and their emotions. It's an animal thing." I said. I looked at him again.

"Why did you really want me to stay?" I asked. Zuko shrugged. I smiled slightly.

"I understand." I said. He looked up in surprise.

"What?" He asked.

"There's a certain comfort in the presence of another. Your uncle never stops making noise and every one else is a cranky drunk or is actually working. You want peace and quiet for once but you don't want to be alone." I said. He actually managed to not look grumpy or confused, which was a big step towards a smile. I nodded and stood a bit.

"...What again is your name?" Zuko asked. "I know the bounty hunter called you Nyla but-"

"I'm Avery. Can I get some food, something to drink, and possibly something to fix up my finger?" I asked. He nodded.

"My uncle should be on deck. Look for him. He'll fix you up and get you something to eat and drink. I think you two will get along well enough. Tell him I'm going to bed and to not disturb me." Zuko said. I bowed and went to leave the room. "Oh, and put some actual clothes on."

"I might." I said. Zuko sighed and slapped his forehead.

"I'm going to regret this..." He muttered.

"Take one of my shirts." Zuko said. "Just cover up. I don't need my crew distracted."

"Oh... Okay..." I said. Truthfully, I hadn't though of it that way. I grabbed a black shirt from the floor and slipped it on. It came down to my thigh and slipped off my shoulder. I noticed that my shoulder wounds had reopened but ignored it. I ran out the door and up the stairs. I opened the door and ran out onto the deck, breathing in the fresh air. I smiled slightly and looked around for the uncle. I spotted him sitting at a Pai Sho table with a cup of tea and some biscuits. I walked over a cleared my throat.

"Would you mind if I sat with you?" I asked. The man smiled.

"Of course. Would you like some tea?" He asked. I nodded and bowed.

"Yes, please." I sat across from him and took the tea cup. I sniffed it before taking a sip. I gasped and smiled.

"I love it!" I said.

"I take it you never drank tea before?"

"Just cold whiskey and filthy luke-warm water." I said with a sad smile. He frowned.

"You really lived as a shirshu for all those years?" Iroh asked. I nodded. "Why?"

"I'm not sure why, really." I said. "I... I felt... I... I don't know why..."

"You don't have to talk about it if you don't wish to." Iroh said. I sighed.

"As long as you're okay with it, I feel that I need to tell someone. Oh, speaking of someone's, Zuko said he's taking a snooze so don't bother him." I said. Iroh nodded.

"Noted. Go on." He said. I sighed and sipped my tea.

"I think I might have had a crush on her when I was little. I guess that's why I started. I felt like I owed her something for caring for me when I was little. I was also afraid of being discovered. I don't know what she would've done, but I wasn't and still am not very fond of the whip." I said, putting down the cup to move the shirt, exposing my scarred and bloody shoulder. Iroh cringed when he saw it.

"Do you want to clean that? We have a medical center." Iroh said, staring at the angry red blood. I shrugged and covered it with the sleeve again.

"I can wait a bit. Anyways, I lived as her shirshu out of fear and respect. Like I said, I felt I owed something." I winced as my shoulder rubbed against the cloth painfully.

"Okay, the medical center would be a blessing right now." I said. Iroh stood and held out a hand to help me up. I took it and pulled myself to my feet. I swayed slightly and looked to my shoulder. Blood was dripping on the floor. I stumbled slightly as I took a step before collapsing.

"Lieutenant Jee! Come help!" Iroh called, kneeling at my side. Said man came rushing over and picked me up. I curled into his chest and gritted my teeth in pain. "Quickly, get her to the medical bay."

"You mean the infirmary?" Jee asked.

"Yes, the infirmary. I'll go get Zuko. Go!" Iroh said. I blacked out.

**_Yup, Avery is bisexual and you gotta deal with it. _**


	5. Chapter 5

**_I don't own A:TLA. Sorry if this chapter is confusing, but a very thoughtful reader pointed out some plot holes in this story so I want to clear things up._**

I was getting pissed at constantly awaking to a headache. I looked around and noted that I wasn't alone in the infirmary. Iroh sat by my bed and was sipping a cup of tea. I groaned and sat up.

"Avery, be careful. You lost a lot of blood." Iroh said. I stared at him. "Why didn't you say anything about your shoulder?"

"I'm stubborn when it comes to pain." I said, stretching slightly.

"Well, your stubbornness nearly got you killed." Iroh said. I sighed.

"I'm sorry, Iroh." I said. My nose twitched and I looked to the door.

"Is something wrong?" Iroh asked.

"Sorry, I thought I smelt something off." I said. "It was just a soldier who actually showers."

"Speaking of your sense of smell, may I ask you a question?" Iroh asked. I nodded.

"I noticed that as a shirshu, you didn't have eyes. Or at least visible ones. Either way, you saw with scent. How does that work when you're human?" Iroh asked.

"Good question. As a human, I'm mostly blind. I can only really see outlines of things. Most people don't suspect that since my eyes aren't glazed over. But I still 'see' with my nose." I said. "Make sense?"

"Yes?" Iroh said. I sighed.

"Okay, I'll try harder to explain. As a shirshu, everything is black and white. Scent appears as color. Scent is even more enhanced as an animal. Following?" He nodded. "Okay, well, since my nose isn't star shaped and huge like a shirshu's, my sight is even more deterred. So instead of just color blindness, I can only see outlines. Still following?" He nodded again. "So, I can only see outlines and the colors of smell."

"What color am I?" He asked. I shrugged.

"I don't know what to call it really. I suppose it would be the color of a newly bloomed flower. Slightly pink and slightly green. It's very pretty." I said. He smiled.

"Thank you, I suppose." Iroh said. A loud bang resonated from the far wall as the door slammed open. I looked over to see Zuko standing there. He did _not_ look happy.

"Ah, greetings nephew. Did you have a pleasant nap?"

"Why the hell are you in here?" Zuko snapped.

"Which one of us?" I asked.

"Both of you." He said, striding over.

"I passed out from blood loss." I said.

"Stupid peasant." Zuko muttered. I quirked an eyebrow but stayed quiet.

"Uncle, why are you in here?" He snapped.

"I'm keeping Avery company. I wanted to make sure she was okay." Iroh said. I smiled at him.

"Why? She's just a prisoner."

"The prisoner of which you speak is sitting right here!" I said. He shot me a dirty look before turning back to his uncle. Agni, what was with him?

"Go to Music Night. I need to talk to the prisoner. Do not disturb us." Zuko said. Iroh got up and handed me a full cup of tea before walking out.

"Well, someone got up on the wrong side of the bed." I remarked, sipping my tea, Zuko growled and slapped the tea cup from my grip. It shattered on the ground.

"Hey! I was drinking that!" I said. "What is wrong with you today?"

"What's wrong with me? Says the shirshu." Zuko retorted. I snarled and slapped him. He growled at me and lit his fist on fire.

"Ahem, Zuko?"

"I'm not playing the tsungi horn!" Zuko yelled. I rubbed my forehead with a peeved sigh.

"We need to move Avery to a room." Iroh said.

"Throw her in the cell again."

"Her wound will get infected." Iroh said.

"Why should I care?" Zuko said. Iroh sent him a knowing look and his eyes widened slightly.

"Fine. Where?" Zuko asked.

"I don't know." Iroh said. "Put her in your room for now until the crew makes up a room of her own."

"What?! Are you crazy?! There is no way I'm let-" Iroh walked out and Zuko yelled in anger.

"Come on." Zuko said. I hopped off the gurney and followed him down the hallway. He opened the door to his room and I closed the door after us.

"Just sit in the corner or something. Don't talk and don't touch anything. Be glad I'm just letting you stay in here." Zuko said. I huffed and sat on the edge of his bed. He leaned against the wall and we had a stare off for about five minutes.

"What are _you_ looking at?" He snapped.

"An Aye-Cat. What do ya think?" I retorted. He huffed.

"Stupid peasant." He muttered again. I scoffed.

"Really?! Earlier, you were a decent conversationalist, never minding the fact that you threatened to burn me to a crisp. Now you're just a whinny brat." I said. He growled at me and I quirked my eyebrow.

"You realize that growling at a shirshu is pointless and not intimidating, right?" I said. He slapped his forehead as the door opened.

"For the last time, I'm not playing the tsungi horn!" He said.

"No, it's about our plans. There's a bit of a problem." Iroh said. A large man stepped inside and smirked.

"Zhao?" Zuko said.

"I'm taking your crew." Zhao said.

"What?" Zuko gasped, disbelieving.

"I've recruited them for a little expedition to the North Pole." He said.

"Uncle, is that true?" Zuko asked.

"I'm afraid so. He's taking everyone... even the cook." Iroh said, saying the last bit like he was about to cry.

"Sorry you won't be there to watch me capture the Avatar. But I can't have you getting in my way again." Zhao said. Zuko went to charge him but I grabbed his wrist and held him back. Zhao looked to me.

"And who might you be, miss?" He asked.

"Nyla." I lied.

"Pleasure to meet you, Miss Nyla. Would you care to join my crew and leave Zuko?" Zhao offered. I frowned.

"I'm fine, thanks." I said. He frowned and looked to the far wall as he noticed something.

"I didn't know you were skilled with broadswords, Prince Zuko." Zhao said.

"I'm not. They're antiques. Just decorative." Zuko said. I could tell he was lying. Call it a shirshu's intuition.

"Have you heard of the Blue Spirit, General Iroh? Or you, Miss Nyla?"

"Just rumors. I don't think he is real." Iroh said evenly. Oh yeah, they were hiding something. Zhao looked at me.

"I've never heard of the Blue Spirit before, sir. I'm not from the Water Tribe and I couldn't afford the luxury of scrolls." I said. He blinked at me.

"Well, he's real, alright. He's a criminal, and an enemy of the Fire Nation. But I have a feeling justice will catch up with him soon." He was half way out the door. "General Iroh, the offer to join my mission still stands... if you change your mind. You too, Miss Nyla." Zhao said. I didn't like the look he gave me before he left. I shivered in disgust.

"That man disgusts me." I said.

"You just met him."

"And I never want to meet him again. He's a pedophile. I realize I'm dressed like a prostitute but he could at least have the dignity not to stare like a pervert." I snapped, crossing my arms in front of my chest. Zuko sighed angrily and Iroh's gaze dropped to the floor.

"Avery, your room is ready." Iroh said. I nodded and Iroh opened the door. I was half way out when I looked back to Zuko.

"Good night... Prince Zuko." I said quietly before walking away.


	6. Chapter 6

"Avery?" Someone said from the door. I couldn't see but I could 'see' who it was.

"Iroh? Is something wrong?" I asked, sitting up.

"The crew wants to say goodbye. You never got to know them very well but they took turns caring for you." Iroh said. I got up but didn't move.

"Can you help me? I can't see very well." I said. I heard shifting and a hand rested on my shoulder, gently guiding me to the door. I blinked and shook my head. So many scents, so little time. I said goodbye to each of them, thanking Jee specifically for saving my ass, and gave them each a hug. They left and I leaned against the wall with a small smile.

"I see you enjoy hugs?" Iroh said. I laughed slightly.

"I didn't really get positive attention as a kid." I said, showing my scarred arms. Iroh nodded solemnly.

"Well, I'm going for a walk. Would you care to join me?" Iroh asked. I rubbed the back of my neck.

"No thanks. Is Zuko going?" I asked.

"Why?"

"I wanna know if I have to put up with Prince Pouty." I said. Iroh smirked.

"He's taken to the darkness of his room. I doubt he'll be out. I on the other hand, am going now." Iroh said. He walked past me and I stretched. At least I wouldn't have to put up with the hermit. There was a sudden crash on deck and I stood at attention, straining my ears. I crept up the stairs and heard, "Careful with the blasting jelly!" I frowned. I ran out and looked around. I sniffed and smelt the distinct scent of fire and explosives.

"Uncle? Uncle, is that you?" I heard someone say. I whipped around and saw Zuko.

"Oh, Avery... what are you doing up here?"

"What, you didn't hear that?" I said.

"That wasn't you?" He asked. I shook my head but then froze.

"Oh Agni. Zuko, watch out!" I yelled. He gave me a baffled look and turned to see the lighted fuse. The ship exploded. I was grateful that I crashed into the water. I noticed that my wound had reopened and swore loudly.

"Zuko!" I called. I heard a groan nearby and saw Zuko lying face up in the water. I went to go get him but froze as my leg lit up as if on fire. I turned and saw that a piece of shrapnel was stuck in my thigh. I frowned and ignored my pain. I hopped over to Zuko in the shallow water and grabbed his waist.

"Avery?" Zuko gasped. I nodded with gritted teeth. I was loosing blood fast.

"Great, you're up, _help_." I said. He kicked and we made it to shore where I collapsed.

"Zuko! Avery! You're alright!"

"Correction; Zuko's alright. I'm bleeding heavily." I said, scooting out of the water. I shifted my leg and swore. I grabbed out the shrapnel and used it to cut off my pant leg. I used the sopping wet fabric to form a tourniquet. I looked to them and saw them hugging. I smiled, sensing their strong family bond.

"Let's get dry and figure out where to go from here." Zuko said. I went to stand but my leg gave out under me. I tried twice before giving up and snarling.

"I _hate_ being hurt." I muttered. I heard a pissed sigh and suddenly, a strong pair of arms swooped me up. I yelped in shock. I held onto his neck and blinked up at him in shock.

"I'm not doing this because I want to, so don't get the wrong idea. Got it?" Zuko said. I nodded. Iroh picked a spot of grass deep in the forest and stacked rocks in a circle. He picked up a few sticks and tossed them in. He drew a breath and shot flames into the circle. Zuko put me down and snapped off some branches. He tossed them in and sat next to me around the campfire. I stretched out my leg and frowned, glaring at the wound. Zuko frowned at the still bleeding wound and took off his shirt, drying it.

"Here, use this to wrap it." Zuko said. I stared at him momentarily in surprise and took the shirt. I took the piece of shrapnel and used it to cut a strip off. I continued to work on cutting and wrapping. I finished and leaned back on my hands.

"So, what are we going to do?" I asked. "You have no avatar, no crew, and now, no ship."

"Thanks for pointing that out." Zuko muttered. I shrugged.

"Glad I could help." I replied sarcastically. Zuko frowned but winced as that action had caused a nasty cut to shift. I frowned.

"What about Zhao?" I suggested.

"What?!" Zuko yelled. I threw a rock at him.

"Be quiet, ya moron!" I hissed.

"What?" He repeated quietly. I sighed.

"Iroh could go work as his general, you could hide on the ship, and..." I paused. "And I could go back to June."

"You going to June is _not_ an option." Iroh said firmly. I blinked.

"Okay. Well, what else can we do? Ship me off to a nice Earth Kingdom family?" I asked. Zuko frowned.

"You're not getting away that easily." He said. I raised my eyebrow.

"Well, it seems that you guys are set, what am I to do?" I said.

"You could hide on board with Zuko." Iroh said.

"Avery needs medical attention. Not an option." Zuko ruled out. I blinked at him in shock.

"Well, Zhao _did _offer you a place on his ship..." Iroh said. I grimaced.

"Well, it's dealing with the perverted pedophile or death." I said. I sighed.

"Perverted pedophile it is. I'm going to sleep. G'Night." I said. I curled into a ball by the fire and closed my eyes. I sighed as the warmth enveloped me. I fell asleep.


	7. Chapter 7

I awoke and yawned, refusing to move. I shifted slightly and froze as I noticed the heavy weight on my torso. The back of my head was overly warm. My eyes flew open as warm air ghosted over my ear. I rolled over and startled gold eyes snapped open to meet mine. In unison, Zuko and I yelped and leapt apart.

"Oh good, you're both awake." Iroh said, coming back from a walk. "Let's go."

~{~}~

"I'm devastated to hear about Prince Zuko. Just... devastated." Zhao said as he poured us tea. I bowed my head and covered my mouth.

"The Fire Lord will not be pleased when he learns who was responsible." Iroh said.

"You know who was behind the attack?" Zhao said with fake interest. Bastard.

"Yes. Nyla told me last night. Pirates. We had a run-in with them a while back. They wanted revenge." Iroh said.

"Ah, Nyla. He sacrificed himself to save you. I'm sorry for your loss. So soon in a relationship too." Zhao said with fake sympathy. I mentally kicked my wounded leg for agreeing to go with that alibi. "So, have you reconsidered my offer?"

"Yes, I accept. It will be an honor to serve as your general. To the Fire Nation!"

"To victory!" Zhao toasted. I hugged myself.

"Nyla, are you alright? You haven't touched your tea." Zhao said.

"She's refused to speak, eat, or drink since... the incident." Iroh said. I sniffled for effect.

"Oh... I'm sorry." He said. He seemed genuine about that. Good, let him feel guilt and regret. He deserves it. I stood and nodded to Iroh. He stood with me.

"Leaving so soon?" Zhao asked.

"Nyla has seeing difficulties. She needs me to get around easier." Iroh said.

"Would you like an assigned man to be your seeing-eye person?" Zhao asked. I locked eyes with Iroh and he looked back to Zhao.

"That would make her uncomfortable." Iroh said.

"How?"

"It's a matter of trust." Iroh said. Zhao nodded.

"I see. Very well. Go on. Ryuu, show them to Nyla's room." He said. We walked out of the tent, my arm looped through his, and followed the man to the ship. We headed inside and walked through the halls. We came to a halt in front of my assigned room.

"This is your room. General, your room is there." Ryuu pointed to the room next to my. "Good day."

"To you as well." Iroh said. He walked me inside and let go, closing the door.

"Why so eager to leave?" Iroh asked.

"The pervert was staring." I said, crossing my arms and sitting on the edge of my bed.

"I hadn't noticed." Iroh said.

"You didn't stare too." I said. He smirked. There was a knock on the door and Iroh stepped back.

"Who is it?" Iroh called.

"Uh, Tatsuo." They said.

"Let him in." I said.

"You know him?"

"You do too, Iroh. Let him in." I said. He did, and 'Tatsuo' stepped in, closing the door after him. He pulled the grating off his mask and Iroh smiled.

"Oh, Zu-"

"Tatsuo!" I said. "It's a code name. For safety. I have one for every place I go, I figured you and _Tatsuo_ should have a few too."

"You never did tell me yours." Zuko said.

"Water Tribe : Ran, Earth Kingdom : Nyla, Fire Nation : Kaida, and if the Air Temples were still there : Haya." I said.

"What are all of mine?" Zuko asked.

"We've gone over Tatsuo, Earth Kingdom : Lee, Water Tribe : Kano, and Air Temples : Kikaru." I said.

"And mine?" Iroh asked.

"Hmm... Fire Nation : Tatsuya, Earth Kingdom : Mushi, Water Tribes : Reney, and Air Nomads : Jomei." I said.

"How do you _remember_ all of that?" Zuko asked.

"It's a shirshu thing." I strained my ears. "Someone's coming. Tatsuo, go." I said. Zuko slipped on his mask grate and slipped out the door.

"General Iroh, Zhao requests your presence on deck." Ryuu said after knocking. Iroh nodded.

"Go on, I'm going to bed. It's been a long day." I said. They left and, true to my word, I went to bed.


	8. Chapter 8

I stood with Zhao and Iroh on deck. I gripped Iroh's shoulder and gazed off into the distance. I had to keep up the innocent blind girl appearance.

"This will truly be one for the history books, General Iroh. Just think, centuries from now, people will study the great Admiral Zhao, who destroyed the last of the Water Tribe civilization. You're lucky you're here to see it." Zhao said. So... he's also pompous.

"Be careful what you wish for, Admiral. History is not always kind to its subjects." Iroh warned tersely.

"I suppose you speak from experience, but rest assured. This will be nothing like your legendary failure at Ba Sing Se." Zhao said, taking a step forward. I frowned. What an ass.

"I hope not, for your sake." Iroh said sadly with a bowed head. I squeezed his shoulder in a way of saying '_Don't listen to him!_'

"Tell the captains to prepare for first strike." Zhao ordered. Iroh nodded and went to lead me away but I removed my hand from his shoulder and shook my head.

"I need to talk to him." I said. He frowned. "Don't worry. I'll be fine. If all else fails, I can paralyze him and jump ship with Zuko."

"Alright, but be careful." Iroh said. I nodded and he walked downstairs. I walked over to Zhao.

"Excuse me? Admiral Zhao?" I said politely.

"Yes, Miss Nyla?" Zhao asked.

"I wish to join you and General Iroh when you go in." I said. Admiral Zhao frowned.

"That isn't a good idea, Miss Nyla. Because of your difficulty, you could get seriously injured." Zhao said. I sighed and placed a hand on his shoulder. He stiffened and I grinned inwardly. See, you _can_ learn things in a bar.

"Sir, it's only color blindness. I can fight. Just ask General Iroh. The first time we met, I took down Zuko..." I trailed off at the mention of Zuko. Zhao gave me a curious look.

"How did you manage that?" He asked.

"The element of surprise." I said. "He too underestimated me because of my blindness."

"I would like you to prove that before you go out." Zhao said. I smiled and batted my eyes at him.

"Who will I be fighting, sir?" I said. I slipped away, trailing a hand down his arm, and walked down to a flatter deck level. "Send someone to fight me, fire and all."

"Miss Nyla, are you sure?" He said. I nodded and pulled out the piece of shrapnel.

"Ryuu!" Zhao said, just as said man walked out on deck with another man. "Fight Miss Nyla and do _not_ go easy on her!"

"But sir, I'm not a fire bender. Tatsuo is though." Ryuu said, nudging the man next to him. I smirked. Perfect, I was going against Zuko.

"Fair enough. Tatsuo, fight Miss Nyla." Zhao said. Zuko nodded and faced me, slipping into a fire bending stance. I grinned.

"Whenever you're ready." I said to him. He nodded and shot a burst of flame at me. I flipped out of the way, careful about my leg. I ducked and weaved my way around each attack with ease and gradually made my way closer.

"Is that all you got, Tatsuo?" I called mockingly. He smirked under the grate and charged. I leapt over him, using his shoulder as a launch pad. I turned and grabbed his waist, pulling. He fell backwards and I slipped around him as he crashed down. I sat on his waist and held the shrapnel to his neck.

"Play along, Pouty." I whispered. He nodded slightly.

"Is this proof enough, Admiral?!" I called. He clapped.

"Yes. Very good, Miss Nyla. You may fight. Just, stay close to General Iroh and I." Zhao said. He looked like he wished that he were 'Tatsuo' in that moment. I nodded and let go of Zuko, standing. I slipped the shrapnel into my pocket and helped Zuko up. I bowed to him before making my way below deck. I went straight to my room and went inside. Iroh was waiting for me.

"So?" He asked.

"I asked him if I could fight with you and he said no. I bribed him into letting me go by fighting a crew member who just so happened to be Zuko. I also used other tactics like guilt and flirtation." I said, nonchalantly twirling the shrapnel shard. Iroh laughed. There was a knock on the door.

"Who is it?" I asked.

"Tatsuo, Miss Nyla." They said.

"Enter." I said. Zuko entered and closed the door, locking it and pulling of his helmet.

"You're getting good at playing soldier, Pouty." I said. He frowned at me.

"I'm leaving soon." Zuko told us.

"Already? Shouldn't you wait until we're closer to the tribe?" I asked. He shrugged.

"Speaking of closeness; what the hell was that up there?" Zuko asked. I smirked.

"Well, Zhao wasn't allowing me to come, so I told him I could fight. Then he made me fight you." I said.

"I meant the straddling." Zuko said. I laughed.

"_That's_ what's got you pissed?" I said. "I was making Zhao jealous."

"Why?"

"It's a method of persuasion called flirting." I said. He stared at me.

"Why would that work on him? I mean, you're... _you_." Zuko said. I gave him the middle finger.

"Nyla, please. Is that necessary?" Iroh said. Zuko and I sent him matching looks of '_stay out of this_' and he stood.

"I'll get out of your way." He said, leaving.

"Are you saying I'm unattractive?" I said. Zuko's eyes widened as he realized what he said.

"I... uh... I didn't... err..."

"I mean, I realize I can be a brute, but that was a low blow." I continued.

"Nyla, I... um... err..."

"Seriously though, was that really necessary? I mean-"

"I didn't mean it! You're not unattractive!" Zuko exclaimed.

"So, I'm not unattractive, but I'm not attractive?" I said. This was too fun. Zuko was blushing.

"Your'e not the first thing, okay?" He said. He put his helmet on a slammed out. I blinked in confusion. Did he just say I was attractive.

"Miss, are you alright?" Another soldier asked, peering in the doorway.

"Ah, yes, I'm fine. Me and Tatsuo know each other from a long time ago. Don't worry about it. I was just teasing him." I said. Ryuu nodded.

"If you don't mind me asking, how do you know each other?" Ryuu asked.

"When my village was occupied, his family moved in. We grew up together." I said. Ryuu nodded.

"Well, we are nearing the Northern Tribe. I suggest getting some sleep before we head out." Ryuu said. I nodded.

"Thanks, Ryuu." I said. He closed the door and I sat on my bed, confused.

"Damn you, Pouty." I muttered. I layed down and went to sleep.


	9. Chapter 9

"It's almost twilight, Admiral. As your military consultant, I must advise you to halt your attack. The waterbenders draw their power from the moon, and it is nearly full tonight. You should wait and resume the attack at daybreak." Iroh suggested to Zhao.

"Oh, I'm well aware of the moon problem and I am working on a solution. But for now, daybreak it is." Zhao agreed. I sighed, heading inside to go nap again.

* * *

I sat to the side as Zuko prepared to leave, watching Iroh talk to his nephew.

"If you're fishing for an octopus my nephew, you need a tightly woven net, or he will squeeze through the tiniest hole and escape." Iroh said. I smiled. I'd have to remember that one.

"I don't need your wisdom right now, Uncle." Zuko said.

"I'm sorry. I just nag you, because, well," He paused, voice breaking slightly. "Ever since I lost my son..."

"Uncle, you don't have to say it." Zuko said. I lifted my chin from my knees and looked at the men.

"... I think of you as my own." Iroh finished. My heart ached at the touching moment. I contemplated getting up and walking away to give them privacy. Zuko faced his uncle, a softer expression on his face.

"I know, Uncle. We'll meet again." Iroh hugged him. "After I have the Avatar."

"Hey, don't forget to say goodbye to me." I said, standing. Iroh backed to where I was previously was as I walked forward. Zuko gave me a curious look.

"You realize that once you join the avatar, and after I capture the avatar, I'll have to take you prisoner too?" He said. I fidgeted with the hem of my shirt.

"Well... what if I changed my mind about joining the avatar?" I said. He blinked rapidly in surprise.

"What?"

"I'm happier with you and Iroh, I don't know if leaving you guys in the dust is a good idea." I said, rubbing my neck in thought. "Plus, I've had enough of dark jail cells."

"Avery..." Zuko said. I looked up sharply, my hardly useful eyes meeting his.

"You're not getting rid of me, whether you like it or not. I've made my choice, and a shirshu sticks to their decisions." I said. Zuko sighed and managed to not look grumpy.

"Fine." He said. I wrapped my arms around his neck and hugged him, taking him by surprise. I kissed his cheek and back up with a wink.

"Good luck, Pouty. Try not to freeze. We don't need a Pouty Popsicle." I said. Zuko shook his head free of thought and climbed in his boat.

"Remember your breath of fire. It could save your life out there." Iroh said.

"I will." Zuko lowered the boat, suspended by ropes, down the side of the ship into the water.

"And put your hood up. Keep your ears warm!" Iroh added.

"I'll be fine!" Zuko called. I placed a hand on Iroh's shoulder and smiled.

"He'll be fine. This is Prince Pouty we're talking about here. He's too stubborn to get hurt and stay hurt." I said. "Go get 'im, Pouty!"

"Yeah yeah, Furball." He snapped. I laughed.

"Finally! I _knew_ you had a sense of humour!" I said. Iroh and I waved as Zuko began rowing away.

"I'm glad you stayed." Iroh said. "Even though I wish you had gone."

"To protect him? Nah, I'd only slow him down." I grinned. "Besides, I can be his stand in for now."

"You, standing in for Zuko?" Iroh chuckled. I smiled.

"I can be grumpy and unappreciative." I said. I frowned, crossed my arms, and wrinkled my forehead. "Grr, I'm Zuko, kiss my pointy boots!"

"_Avery_." Iroh said. He chuckled and I joined in the laughter. I gripped his arm and he led me away to my room. I collapsed on my bed and fell into a fitful sleep.

* * *

"It's daybreak at last. Let's write history." Zhao said. I stood on deck in all black having sown my own outfit. Zhao kept insisting that I wear I helmet, but I refused.

"It'll deter my vision even more." I repeated to a soldier. "Now leave me alone or I'll stab you."

The Fire Navy ships broke through the city wall, the bows crumbling the wall, allowing soldiers armed with spears to rush in.

"The Water Tribe can try to resist the inevitable, but their city will fall today." Zhao said.

* * *

"I don't need to remind you we have a time limit. If we don't defeat the Water Tribe before the full moon rises, they will be undefeatable." Iroh said.

"I assure you I have everything under control. I intend to remove the moon as a factor." Zhao said.

"Pardon, sir?" I said.

"Remove the moon? How?" Iroh asked. Suddenly, a spy appeared from the door and wielded a spear at Zhao.

"Admiral Choi! Prepare to meet your fate!" He yelled. He charged at Zhao, but I stepped in the way. Zhao and Iroh continued talking. The guy faltered, seeing I was a girl and all, but kept charging. I grabbed the staff, kicked it in half, and tossed it overboard in three fast movements. I grabbed his shirt and spun around before kicking him overboard.

"Thank you, Miss Nyla. As I was saying, years ago I stumbled upon a great and powerful secret: the identity of the Moon Spirit's mortal form."

"What?" Iroh gasped.

"I was a young lieutenant serving under General Shu in the Earth Kingdom. I discovered a hidden library. Underground, in fact. I tore through scroll after scroll. One of them contained a detailed illustration, and the words "moon" and "ocean". I knew then that these spirits could be found and killed. And that it was my destiny to do so."

"Zhao! The spirits are not to be trifled with!" Iroh said angrily. I was shell shocked, a nagging feeling building in my chest.

"Yes, yes... I know you fear the spirits, Iroh. I've heard rumors about your journey into the Spirit World. But the Ocean and Moon gave up their immortality to become a part of our world. And now they will face the consequences."

"Zhao, Iroh is right. Interfering in the lives of spirits is dangerous, and quite frankly _stupid_." I said hotly.

"Miss Nyla, might I suggest minding your tongue." Zhao snapped. I growled.

"My tongue may do what it want's, including paralyzing your sorry ass." I muttered.

"What was that?" Zhao threatened. I bared my sharp teeth.

"Don't. Do. It." I said. Zhao huffed in exasperation.

"Miss Nyla, if you'd _please_ shut up and allow the smart ones to carry on. _Thank you._" Zhao said. I frowned. Iroh placed a hand on my shoulder ad shook his head. I crossed my arms and glared at the floor.

"Come, we must go now." Zhao said. We headed for the rhino's, where the soldiers, Iroh, and Zhao mounted. Zhao extended a hand and I sighed, taking it. He pulled me up and I was forced to sit in front of him. We rode into the city, where tanks and snow and fire were flying everywhere. A tank crashed down in front of the rhino Zhao and I were riding, sending snow flying.

"We'll be following this map to a very special location. And when we get there, we're going fishing." Zhao said. I did _not_ like the tone in his voice. We rode, following the map like planned, and rode into an oasis of some sort. We dismounted and I went over to the gate. I sniffed the air and frowned, purple, blue, and amber scents chasing eachother around. I almost smelt other scents, but couldn't place a figure to them.

"The avatar's been here. So has his friends." I announced. I gave Iroh a look and winked. He nodded, looking relieved. Zhao grabbed Tui from the water and stuffed it in a sack. The moon went red.

"Zhao..." I said, standing.

"I am... a legend, now! The Fire Nation will, for generations, tell stories about the great Zhao, who darkened the moon. They will call me, Zhao the Conqueror, Zhao the Moon Slayer, Zhao the Invincible!" My head shot up as a flying lemur, _Aang's_ flying lemur, leapt from the shadows and onto Zhao's head. I busted out laughing. "Ugh... get it off! Get it off!"

Momo flew off of Zhao and landed on Aang's arm (wait, when'd he get here?) and ran to his shoulder, with Katara and Sokka behind him. Zhao and his soldiers readied themselves for battle. Aang, Sokka and Katara readied themselves.

"Don't bother." Zhao as he lifted the sack up, threatening to kill Tui.

"Zhao, don't!" Aang said.

"It's my destiny, to destroy the moon and the Water Tribe." Zhao said.

"Destroying the moon won't hurt just the Water Tribe. It will hurt everyone, including you. Without the moon, everything would fall out of balance. You have no idea what kind of chaos that would unleash on the world." Aang said._  
_

"He is right Zhao." Iroh said.

"General Iroh, why am I not surprised to discover your treachery?"

"I'm no traitor, Zhao." Iroh said. I stepped in.

"The Fire Nation needs the moon, too; we all depend on the balance." I added.

"Whatever you do to that spirit I'll unleash on you ten-fold. Let it go, now!" Iroh warned, voice full of fury.

Zhao released the koi fish into the oasis. Zhao as he hesitated before striking the koi fish with a fire slice out of anger. Aang looked on and then up at the moon. I looked to the sky as the moon faded out and the world went gray. I suddenly felt sick. And then I saw red.

"**How dare you, Zhao!**" I screamed in a voice that wasn't my own, launching myself at the man. I fought off the soldiers with ease, but Zhao had escaped. I kicked a nearby soldier and let out an animalistic scream.

"Avery, calm down!" Iroh called. I snarled, whipping around. I saw the terror in their eyes, Iroh's, Aang's, Katara's, Sokka's, the princess's. I let out a shaky breath and sank down, numb. My breathing was uneasy, and I shook with rage and depression.

"**She was my** **friend...**" I said.

"There's no hope now, it's over." Yue said.

"**No,**" Aang, who was entering the avatar state, and I said in unison. "**It's not over.**"

Aang entered the water as I stood, shaking. Aang stood in a meditative stance as La circles him. La's eyes lit up like Aang's. Aang descended into the water. The whole oasis glowed with blue lightning-like energy that expanded from the oasis island into the water. Katara and the others watched. The energy moved to the edge of the oasis, rising up to form a giant amphibious-like creature, facing out toward the sea, with Aang in the center, controlling it. He began towards the sea. I watched him go, glanced back to Tui, and snarled, seeing red. I felt myself shift into my shirshu half, and then beyond that, into some sort of spirit beast. I nodded to Iroh, and took off.

"**Keep them safe.**" I called. I sucked in a breath and charged into the city. I paralyzed and attacked any and every Fire Nation soldier I could. I came across a young couple with a child and froze.

"**Where is the safest place you can think of?**" I asked. They were still frozen and then they bowed. I sighed.

"**Thank you, but there's no time for that. Climb up and give me directions.**" I said. They clambered onto my back and I took off, picking up any children or helpless citizens I could. I brought them to a house far from the damage and let them off.**  
**

"Thank you, Chi." They said. I blinked rapidly in surprise.

"**I'm Chi's daughter.**" I said. Wait, where'd that come from? Chi was the Shirshu spirit from the Earth Kingdom though... he woudln't have... Oh...

"What should we call you then?" They asked. I smiled.

"**Avery.**" I said. I turned and ran, back into the city.

"You should have chosen to accept your failure, your disgrace. Then at least you could have lived." I heard. I turned to a bridge and saw Zuko and Zhao fighting. I snarled, drawing their attention to me. Zuko gasped.

"Avery?"

"**So nice of you to recognize me, Pouty. Oh, and I have something to tell you later. For now,**" I trailed off and shifted into a human again, retaining spiritual qualities like my fangs and glowing red eyes. "**Now, we kick Zhao's ass.**"

"Miss Nyla?" Zhao said. I grinned.

"**Please, call me Avery.**" I said.

"Impossible... You're a _spirit_." He said, stumbling back. I grinned.

"**Half spirit. Oh, and next time you think of killing a spirit,**" I pointed at the moon, which had sprung into existence again. "**You might want to double check that they _stay_ dead.**"

"It can't be!" He gasped. I grabbed Zuko and jumped out of the way as Tui's hands rose from under the bridge and grabbed Zhao. I gasped.

"**Tui, no!**" I called. Tui hesitated a millisecond before continuing to pull Zhao away. Zuko ran forward and leapt up onto the thick railing.

"Take my hand!" Zuko called. Zhao considered it for a moment before retracting his hand. The energy plummeted into the water, Zhao dragged along with it, and dissipated. In my shock, I shifted into a full human. I snapped out of my shock and grabbed Zuko's hand.

"C'mon, we need to find your uncle and get out."

"But-"

"You're in no shape to capture the avatar." I said, pulling him along.

"That isn't what I was going to say." He said. I cocked my head to the side curiously.

"What?"

"Are you sure you don't want to go with him?" Zuko asked. I grinned.

"Positive. Now let's go! Time's a wastin'!" I said. We ran off the bridge, followed a steep staircase down the side, and hopped onto the sidewalk. Iroh had a small raft-like boat on the water and was smiling.

"She is right, we must hurry." Iroh said. We jumped onto the boat and sailed down and out of the city. Day was breaking.

"I'm surprised Prince Zuko, surprised that you are not at this moment trying to capture the Avatar." Iroh said.

"I'm tired." Zuko said.

"Then you should rest. A man needs his rest." Iroh said. Zuko complied, laying down on the wood.

"You're going to heat up fast in that coat." I said.

"It's better than freezing." Zuko mumbled.

"Touche. Oh, yeah, about the thing I wanted to tell you. I figured out how I'm part shirshu." I said. Zuko cracked an eye to look at me. "My mother, Lin, married a spirit. The Earth Spirit Chi is my father."

"What?"

"That does explain a lot." Iroh said. I beamed.

"You can go to sleep now." I told Zuko.

"Boards rough..." He muttered, half asleep already. I rolled my eyes and leaned back, resting against the wood.

"You should rest too, Iroh." I said. He smiled.

"I'm fine for now, Avery, thank you." He said. I closed my eyes, muttered a 'welcome', and drifted off.

* * *

_**Well, I finally picked this story up again! I hope it was worth the wait! Well, now you know why Avery shifts, that she has weird spiritual powers when she's pissed, and yeah... So, she isn't going with the avatar. Hmm, I wonder why...**_

_**Disclaimer : I don't own ATLA, just Avery.**_


	10. Chapter 10

When we found shelter, I instantly curled up in the corner and napped, much to the annoyance of Zuko. We then went to a sauna like place. Let me say, the massages were _amazing_. I didn't even mind having to where the crude

"This is what I've been missing. Who knew floating on a piece of driftwood for three weeks with no food or water, and sea vultures waiting to pluck out your liver could make one so tense?" I laughed, the noise shaking as the man beat on my back. Iroh looked at the clearly unhappy Zuko and walked over to him then sat down on the ground. "I see. It's the anniversary, isn't it?"

"Three years ago today, I was banished. I lost it all." He sighed "I want it back. I want the Avatar, I want my honor, my throne. I want my father not to think I'm worthless."

"I'm sure he doesn't. Why would he banish you if he didn't care?" I slapped my forehead. _Zuko got up and walked away; Iroh grimaced._ Uh, that came out wrong, didn't it?"_  
_

"Yeah, just a bit." I said. "Should I go after him?"

"He'll be fine. He just needs to blow off steam." Iroh said. I shrugged and relaxed into the message.

* * *

Apparently they went shell hunting, because when I woke up, Iroh was examining his haul.

"Look at these magnificent shells!" He picked up a conch. "I'll enjoy these keepsakes for years to come."

"We don't need any more useless things! You forget, we have to carry everything ourselves now!" Zuko said. I sat up fully and froze as I smelt another scent in the room, that wasn't Zuko's or Iroh's (I can't smell myself).

"Hello, brother. Uncle." The girl gave me a weird look. "Peasant."

"What are you doing here?" Zuko snapped. Ah, so they knew each other. Her scent was a vicious red color.

"In my country, we exchange a pleasant hello before asking questions." She ro_se and walked toward Zuko and Iroh._ "Have you become uncivilized so soon, Zuzu?"

"Don't call me that!" Zuko exclaimed. I stood, ready to attack if necessary.

"To what do we owe this honor?" Iroh asked warily.

"Hmmm... must be a family trait. Both of you so quick to get to the point. I've come with a message from home. Father's changed his mind. Family is suddenly very important to him. He's heard rumors of plans to overthrow him; treacherous plots. Family are the only ones you can really trust. Father regrets your banishment. He wants you home." She paused. The room was full of silence. "Did you hear me? You should be happy. Excited. Grateful. I just gave you great news."

"I'm sure your brother simply needs a moment." Iroh said. My eyes widened. These two were siblings? Oh geez, as if this weren't complicated enough!

"Don't interrupt, Uncle!" Zuko's sister snapped, furious. She took a second to collect herself. When she spoke again, her voice held annoyance and impatience. "I still haven't heard my thank you. I'm _not_ a messenger. I didn't have to come all this way."

"Father regrets? He... wants me back?" Zuko stuttered.

"I can see you need time to take this in. I'll come to call on you tomorrow. Good evening." She said before leaving. I furrowed my eyebrows.

"Who the hell is she, and why do I want to paralyze her?" I piped up.

"Azula." Was all Zuko said. I pursed my lips.

"Thanks for clearing that up." I said sarcastically. I went to the window and looked at the ship, frowning. "I don't trust her."

"You hardly know her." Zuko said.

"I'm a freaking shirshu spirit, I think you can trust my gut feeling. And my gut is telling me that she's lying. A lot." I said.

"Don't jump to conclusions." Zuko said. I looked back to him with, giving him a look.

"I'm not jumping." I looked to Iroh. "C'mon, I'm right on this, aren't I?"

"Azula is not to be trusted, nephew." Iroh warned. Zuko huffed, growing angry.

"Wait! Here's an idea! Wait a bit, think over your life and what's happened to you, _then_ decide." I said. I then left.

* * *

"We're going home! After three long years, it's unbelievable!" Zuko exclaimed. I slapped my forehead and went to walk out the door again, but Iroh gave me a look, pleading me to stay. I sighed and bumped closed the door with my hip.

"It _is_ unbelievable. I have never known my brother to regret anything." Iroh said.

"Did you listen to Azula? Father's realized how important family is to him!" He became irritated. "He cares about me!"

"I care about you! And if Ozai wants you back, well, I think it may not be for the reasons you imagine." Iroh said, turning from the window.

"You don't know how my father feels about me. You don't know anything!" Zuko said, slinging his bag over his shoulder.

"Zuko, I only meant that in our family, things are not always what they seem." Iroh said.

"I think you are exactly what you seem! A lazy, mistrustful, shallow old man who's always been jealous of his brother!" Zuko yelled.

"Zuko!" I reprimanded. He stormed out and I was left shell shocked with an upset Iroh. I walked over to the man and hugged him tightly.

"You're not." I said. "You're the most energetic person I know, who I trust with my whole heart, who has wisdom deeper than that bitch of an ocean that we just sailed across. And I think Ozai should be envying you."

"Thank you, Avery. I appreciate it." Iroh said. I smiled.

* * *

It was morning. I stood with my bag and watched Zuko leave without waking us up. I frowned. I shook Iroh awake.

"C'mon, Zuko's going without us." I said. "I already have our stuff packed so that we can go."

"Good thinking, Avery! Come!" He said. I helped him to his feet and we hurried out after Zuko.

"Wait! Don't leave without us!" Iroh called. Zuko turned around, smiled, and _set down her pack._

"Uncle! You've changed your mind!" Zuko called.

"Family sticks together, right?" He said, placing a hand on his shoulder. I took another step forward, and Zuko look up to me. I smiled tiredly.

"You can't get rid of me _that_ easily." I said. He smiled.

"We're finally going home!" Zuko exclaimed. I smiled, but it slipped as soon as they turned and began walking down the steps.

"That you are..." I muttered. I sighed and began after them. "I wish."

We approached Azula's ship. Azula stood quietly on top of a ramp leading up to the ship. Royal Procession guards stood on either side of us as they walked, forming an aisle. Iroh and I shot suspicious glances at the guards. We reached the ship and bow; the guards behind us walked forward and closed the aisle.

"Brother! Uncle! Welcome! I'm so glad you decided to come." Azula exclaimed with fake happiness. She quirked an eyebrow at me. "And you brought a friend."

"I'm Nyla." I said, bowing politely. Zuko shot me a look but I continued to hold my gaze against Azula.

"Right. Are we ready to depart, Your Highness?" The captain asked.

"Set our course for home, captain." Azula said sweetly.

"Home." Zuko breathed with a smile.

"You heard the princess! Raise the anchors! We're taking the prisoners home!" He exclaimed. I smirked, quirking an eyebrow. The guard looked ready to piss himself due to Azula's expression. "Your Highness, I..."

"See, this is why you listen to me!" I said. I leapt at one of the guards and Iroh followed suit, attacking them. Zuko went after Azula.

"You lied to me!" Zuko growled.

"Like I've never done that before." Azula replied smugly. She turned her back to him and walked away, as two guards standing near her shot fire blasts at Zuko. Zuko crossed his arms and spreaded them outward, deflecting the attacks and he shouted as he charged onto the ship. Zuko blasted the two guards off the ship with two fire blasts. He landed on deck. Azula is stood patiently several feet away, her back turned to him. Zuko clenched his fists and prepared fire daggers. Iroh and I continued to attack the guards on the walkway.

"Zuko! Let's go!" Iroh called. He hurled the guard he was fighting over the edge and stepped to the side to avoid another guard's attack and pushed him aside. Zuko charged at Azula with fire daggers. He attempted to strike Azula, only for the princess to acutely dodge all of his blows. She smirked at her brother. Zuko kept attacking and Azula kept avoiding. Zuko brought down his right hand to land another blow, but Azula managed to push him away.

"You know, Father blames Uncle for the loss of the North Pole. And he considers you a miserable failure for not finding the Avatar! Why would he want _you _back home, except to lock you up where you can no longer embarrass him?" Azula sneered. I frowned and kicked yet another guard overboard.

"I'm going to help Zuko." I tole Iroh. He nodded.

"Wiat, duck!" He said. I did and he shot a gout of flame over me, knocking several men off the ship. I grinned at Iroh and turned to help.

The two had continued to duel, eventually making their way up a stairway that lead to the central control area of the ship. Azula managed grab hold of Zuko's arm. A few seconds pause as the two stand silently, Zuko widening his eyes in alarm. Azula knocked him to his feet with a blue fire blast. Zuko lands roughly at the bottom of the stairwell. Azula moved both her arms in a circular motion, generating lightning. I gasped. I snarled, my protectiveness getting the best of me, and I charged forward, shifting into a spirit shirshu. She readied the attack and fired the bolt at her brother, only for me to jump in the way. I swallowed the lightning and coughed once before shifting to a normal shirshu, then into a human girl. I coughed again, a smoke cloud puffing from my mouth.

"Remind me to never do that ever again." I said to Zuko. He smirked slightly and nodded, turning back to his sister. She had recovered from her initial shock and was prepping to shoot at Zuko, and me, again. Back to a shirshu, I snarled, ready to paralyze her... Only for Iroh to step in suddenly, grab hold of her right hand, and redirect the lightning, causing it to strike a far-off cliff side. He bent her downward and kicked her off the ship. Azula lands in the water below with a splash. I growled at them and they mounted quickly. I took off, running far from the ship.

* * *

I halted by a river and bucked, telling them to get off. They dismounted and I shifted back, breathing heavily.

"We should be safe here." I panted. Zuko kneeled at the water's edge. He pulled out a small dagger. Zuko held the dagger, its blade reflecting the sunlight. Zuko, who holds the knife under his ponytail. He sliced it off with the knife. He held it in his hand and looked at it for a moment before passing the knife to Iroh, who cut off his topknot. Zuko's hand releases his ponytail. The two topknots floated down the river. Zuko and Iroh stood quietly on the bank of the river.

"Here, give me that." I said. Zuko handed me the knife. I held my hair in a low ponytail and cut of the hair. My hair now hung a few inches above my shoulders. I tossed in my hair and nodded. I glanced at Zuko and smirked. I pointed at the little diamond on the back of his head. "Do you want to get rid of that?"

"Thanks." He said. I nodded and instructed him to lay on his stomach by the water.

"This is going to be weird, just warning you." I said. I sat by his head and carefully began shaving away the hair on his scalp.

"Thanks for saving me back there." He said quietly. I smiled.

"I know you'd do the same."

* * *

_**Am I giving you a clue? Bwahaha! Alrighty then, up next is The Cave of Two Lovers! **_

_**Disclaimer : I don't own ATLA, only Avery and her dad**_


	11. Chapter 11

It's been awhile since we had the run in with Azula. Zuko's hair had grown and was now like a buzzcut. I constantly teased him and made sure to piss him off by rubbing his head and cooing that he was like a puppy-kit. Yeah, he got so pissed once, he threatened to burn me, to which I responded by zapping him. The lightning seemed to still be in my system, because I could control shocking people. It was _really_ fun. Anywho, Zuko bitches more than a spoiled toddler who didn't get the toy they wanted. Today was Zuko's turn to go hunting, and judging from his reaction, he sucked at it.

"I didn't find anything to eat! I can't live like this! I wasn't meant to be a fugitive. This is impossible! Avery, Uncle, what are you doing?" Zuko asked. I grinned.

"Just hangin'." I replied, hanging upside down from a tree branch. Zuko gave me a look and I shrugged. "I tried."

"Uncle..."

"You're looking at the rare white dragon bush. Its leaves make a tea so delicious, it's heartbreaking. That, or it's the white jade, which is poisonous." He said. "Avery, can you tell what kind this is?"

"I've never smelt either, so I can't tell. Either way, I suggest not eating it." I said, placing my hands on my knees to peer at the delicate flower.

"We need food, not tea. I'm going fishing." Zuko said.

"I'll join you." I said. I stood and followed him.

* * *

"Dude, you _suck_ at fishing." I laughed. He had only managed to spear a tiny fish, which was flapping like a kite in the wind. I pulled off my shirt and pants. "This is how you fish."

"Avery!" Zuko yelped as I dove headfirst into the stream. I surfaced and spat water at him.

"Oh calm down, Pouty." I said. I saw a small school of fish nearing and stood perfectly still, hand poised above the water.

"What are you-" I cut him off as my hand sliced through the air and grabbed one of the largest fish. I held my free hand out.

"Spear." I said. He handed me the stick and I stabbed the fish. I nodded in accomplishment, grinning. "_That's_ how you catch a fish."

"Show off." He muttered as I stepped from the water. I handed him the speared fish and winked before wiping my head back and forth, spraying water everywhere.

"Gah! Oh come on!" Zuko exclaimed. I laughed.

"Sorry, Pouty." I said. "C'mon, Iroh's waiting."

* * *

"Iroh? Are you alright?" I asked.

"Um, remember that plant I thought might be tea?" Iroh said. I slapped my forehead.

"You didn't..." Zuko said, shocked.

"I did... and it wasn't." He turned and revealed himself to be swollen and covered in red marks.

"When the rash spreads to my throat, I will stop breathing. But look what I found." He held out his arm to reveal a handful of berries. "These are bacui berries, known to cure the poison of the white jade. That, or maka'ole berries that cause blindness..."

"We're not taking any more chances with these plants!" Zuko said. Grabbing the branch of berries, he hurled it into the bushes. "We need to get help."

"But where are we going to go?" He kneeled down and scratched his rash vigorously. "We're enemies of the Earth Kingdom and fugitives from the Fire Nation."

"If the Earth Kingdom discovers us, they'll have us killed." Zuko thought aloud.

"But if the Fire Nation discovers us, we'll be turned over to Azula." I added. They looked to each other, to me, and back to each other before nodding in unison.

"Earth Kingdom it is."

* * *

A girl a bit older than me treated Iroh's allergic reaction while Zuko and I sat on a bench.

"You three must not be from around here. We know better than to touch the White Jade, much less make it into tea and drink it." She said, flicking Iroh's hand away when he tried to scratch his rash.

"I actually am from the Earth Kingdom and I know the horrible effects of the plant. By the time I realized he had a hold of some... Well, you can see what happened." I lied, sending Iroh a real look of disappointment.

"Whoops!" He said.

"So where are you two traveling from?" She asked.

"Yes, we're travelers." Zuko stuttered nervously. I sighed.

"They aren't very open about their past." I said with a light laugh. "Could you tell?"

"Do you have names?" She said with a pretty smile.

"Names? Of course we have names." Zuko said. "I'm, uh... Lee and this is my Uncle, uh... Mushi?"

"Yes, my nephew was named after his father, so we just call him Junior." Iroh said as she began applying lotion to his inflamed skin.

"Mushi and Junior, huh? And you?"

"My name's June." I said. Zuko quirked an eyebrow but I threw him a gesture that meant 'tell you later'.

"It's nice to meet you. My name is Song. You three look like you could use a good meal." Song slapped Iroh's hand away again as he went to scratch his rash. "Why don't you stay for dinner?"

"Sorry, but we need to be moving on." Zuko said gruffly. I flicked his arm.

"Besides, you've already been so kind. It would be rude." I added.

"That's too bad. My mom always makes too much roast duck." Song said, an innocent smile hiding her cunning look.

"Where do you live exactly?" Iroh said excitedly. I slapped my forehead and Zuko sighed.

* * *

It was nighttime at Song's house. We say in an open-wall dining room where Zuko, Iroh, and I sat around Song's kitchen table. I sat across from Zuko and Iroh, next to Song. Song and I made small talk, discussing girly things like our favorite colors and activities. Song's mother, Harmony, came in with a platter of roast duck and took a seat at the head of the table.

"My daughter tells me you're refugees. We were once refugees ourselves." Harmony said.

"When I was a little girl, the Fire Nation raided our farming village. All the men were taken away. That was the last time I saw my father." Song said. I placed my hand on hers and gave her hand a reassuring squeeze.

"I've never met my parents..." I told her.

"I'm sorry." She said. I smirked mentally. _I dunno, do you _want_ a giant shirshu traipsing around the globe instead of the Spirit World?_

"I haven't seen my father in many years." Zuko said.

"Oh, is he fighting in the War?" Song asked. Zuko hesitated before bowing his head.

"Yeah..." He said. I sighed and continued to eat. I wasn't very hungry.

"So, June, do you know what happened to your parents?" Harmony asked hesitantly.

"Dad left me for dead, Mom sold me." I said tersely. The four others in the room gave me surprised looks. I sighed, uncomfortable being the center of attention. "If you'll excuse me."

"June..." Zuko called after me as I got up and headed outside. I sat on Song's front porch and pulled my legs to my chest, resting my chin on my knees. I heard the door open and close behind me before I saw someone sit next to me out of the corner of my eye. The someone was Zuko.

"Avery... Is that true?" Zuko asked. I sighed, closing my eyes.

"Mostly. My dad had to leave, ya know, had to be up there." I said, pointing up. "But when my mum discovered my ability, she gave me up, claiming she was selling a shirshu pup."

"But you said that you-"

"I _lied_, okay? I didn't completely trust either of you yet. I still can't believe I admitted this to you. But what I said about June was true. She did take me in." I said, gritting my teeth to keep my tears back. Over my travels with Zuko and Iroh, I learned that crying didn't really help. I felt a warm hand on my back and my eyes snapped open. I looked to Zuko in surprise. I smiled at him. Our heads snapped up as the door opened and Song stepped out. She sat beside Zuko.

"Can I join you? I know what you've been through. We've all been through it." She must've noticedZuko's scar. "The Fire Nation has hurt you."

She reached out to touch his scar only to have Zuko push her hand away.

"It's okay. They've hurt me, too." She said compassionately. She pulled up her pants leg to reveal burn scars on her leg. Zuko casted her a surprised look upon seeing this.

"I haven't necessarily been hurt by the Fire Nation." I said. "But I was hurt by the woman who bought me as a slave."

"Can I... can I see?" Song asked. I nodded and stood. I pulled off my shirt and shifted so that my shoulder was in the light, showing the grizzly scars. Song gasped before frowning.

"The Fire Nation citizens are nothing but monsters." Song said. I gave her a cold look.

"My parents and the woman who bought me are Earth Kingdom." I said. I slid my shirt over my head. "The Fire Nation isn't the only monster. And the other nations aren't all saints."

"I..." Song trailed off in shock. Zuko held an alien expression in his eyes. Was it... admiration?

"I believe we're leaving." I said. True to my word, the door slid open and Iroh and Harmony stepped out.

"Thank you for the duck. It was excellent." Iroh said.

"Yes, thank you." I said.

"You're welcome. It brings me pleasure to see someone eat my cooking with such... gusto." Harmony said, mostly to Iroh, who grinned and patted his stomach.

"Much practice." He said. Zuko was already off the porch, ready to leave already. "Junior, where are your manners? You need to thank these nice people."

"Thank you." Zuko said, bowing.

"I know you don't think there's any hope left in the world, but there is hope. The Avatar has returned." Song said to Zuko. I quirked an eyebrow. _Where'd that come from?_

"I know." Zuko said. "And so have the spirits."

He left, leaving Iroh and I alone with Harmony and Song.

"It was nice talking to a girl my age." I said. I smiled at Song and she beamed back. We hugged.

"I'll miss you, Song."

"You too, June." She said. Iroh bustled away to Zuko who seemed to be riding the animal. Harmony headed inside.

"By the way, Song. Have you ever heard of the spirit Avery, daughter of shirshu spirit Chi and the mortal woman Lin?" I asked.

"I have actually! She was seen last in the Northern Water Tribe! Why?"

"Just curious." I said, grinning. I walked away, and gradually shifted into my spirit form as I grew closer to Zuko and Iroh. I turned and waved daintily at Song, who stared with a dropped jaw, and then shifted back, disappearing into the shadows.

"What was that about?" Zuko asked atop an ostrich-horse. I smirked.

"Giving her hope." I said. Zuko rolled his eyes and held out a hand. I took it and he pulled me up behind him. "Taking a souvenir?"

"Yup." Zuko said. Iroh sighed and climbed up behind me. I wrapped my arms around Zuko's waist.

"Let's go."

* * *

**_Disclaimer : I don't own ATLA_**


	12. Chapter 12

Iroh, Zuko, and I sat on straw mats, our stolen ostrich horse behind us. I had my head on Zuko's shoulder, dozing off, and he was too tired/grumpy to care. a pedestrian walked in front of Iroh. Iroh held his hat out to the pedestrian and began to talk to him.

"Spare coins for weary travelers?" Iroh asked. The pedestrian tossed a couple of copper pieces into Iroh's hat as Zuko turned to Iroh in anger, jostling me awake.

"This is humiliating! We're royalty! These people should be giving us whatever we want." Zuko grumbled.

"They will if you ask nicely." A peasant woman strolled past; somewhat dramatically, Iroh said, "Spare change for a hungry old man?"

"Here you go." A girl said, tossing in a coin.

"The coin is appreciated, but not as much as your smile!" Iroh said, causing them to giggle. I snickered.

"You're pretty suave, Mushi." I said. He gave me a look but smiled. Just then, a man with dual broadswords on his back wandered up to us.

"How about some entertainment in exchange for a gold piece?" He pulled the piece from his pocket with a flourish.

"We're _not_ performers." Zuko said.

"Not professional anyway." Iroh said. He went to stand, but the man held up a hand in a 'stop' motion.

"Not you," He said. He looked to me with a smarmy grin. "You."

"I'll need a song, sir." I said, standing. Zuko gave me a look that said to sit, but I ignored him.

"Dance to this." He said, pulling out his swords. "I mean, we're talking a gold piece here!"

I dodged his swings gracefully, like I was dancing.

"It's a long, long way to Ba Sing Se, but the girls in the city, they look so pretty! They kiss so sweet that you really got to meet the girls from Ba Sing Se!" Iroh sang. I jumped up and caught the swords under my feet, standing atop the blades, and leaned forward, placing a hand under the mans chin with a wink. I then hopped off his swords and sat beside Zuko, leaning back against the wall.

"Ha, ha! Nothing like a hot girl dancing for her dinner! Here you go!" He tossed the gold coin onto the ground and walked away.

"Such a kind man." Iroh said dramatically, close to tears. Zuko glared at the man in anger and humiliation.

"That was disgusting and _wrong_." Zuko said.

"It got us a gold piece, Pouty." I said. An idea clicked and I stood up, brushing off my legs.

"Well, I'll be at the bar getting money. Lee, may I have your knife?" I said. He gave me a look and handed me his knife. "Thank ya, dear. I'll see you men later."

* * *

"So... come 'round here often?" A man asked, sitting next to me. _Oh dude, that was _so_ cheesy._

"No actually. I'm lucky I got out tonight." I lied, leaning my chin in my hand.

"Oh?" He asked.

"My family isn't very rich... or nice." I said, trailing off dramatically. He gave me a look as if pitying me.

"I'm sorry. Can I buy you a drink?" He asked. I smiled meekly.

"I'm not really an alcohol drinker..." I said. He nodded and hand me two gold pieces.

"Buy yourself something nice. And give me a ring sometime." He said, winking as he walked out. I smirked and slipped the coins into my boot. One guy fooled, the rest of the night to go.

* * *

I weaved through the crowd, easily picking coins, pouches, and other expensive things from the crowd before I slid it into either of my boots. I decided it was time to check up on Zuko and Iroh.

* * *

"Sup?" I asked, crouching next to Zuko.

"Where have you been?" He snapped.

"At the bar, like I said. Oh, here ya go by the way." I said. I slid off my boots and dumped my pickings into the hat. Iroh was shocked and Zuko was impressed.

"Av-June!" Iroh hissed. "How did you get these coins?"

"Hey, only two-thirds of it was stolen." I said, raising my hands defensively.

"How did you get the other third?"

"Flirtation." I said. Zuko looked surprised. "Hey, treat me like an animal, I'll act like one. Treat me like a person, I'll return the favor. But, if you treat my like a game... Well, I'll show you how it's played."

"You're saying you persuaded this out of some guys pocket?"

"Yup."

"... What the hell?" Zuko said.

"Geez, I'm insulted by the amount of surprise in your tone." I said.

"Sorry, you don't seem like the kind of girl to do that kind of thing." He said. I gave him a deadpan look.

"I grew up in a bar, you pick up some things." I said. I stood and stretched. "Well, I'm heading back. Keep that safe."

"Stay safe." Iroh said.

"Of course!" I said before walking to the bar again.

* * *

Night was always the most dangerous time to pull these tricks. Drunk men are always more desperate. I carefully weaved through the crowd, pickpocketing as I went. I had my ass grabbed on multiple occasions, which was _not_ fun. And then I ran into the broadsword man from earlier.

"Oh, hello, sir." I said. He grinned, and that's when I realized he was drunk... majorly...

"Ah, sweatheart! I wasss wondrin if ya were schtill in towwn." He slurred. I smiled, pretending to be okay with his drunkenness.

"I am, sir." I said. He wrapped an arm around my shoulders and held me close to him. I swear my eye twitched. "Um, please let go, sir."

"Ya schtill want dat gollen peishe?" He slurred.

"I'm fine, sir." I said, pushing at his arm. He tightened his grip. When he spoke next, his voice wasn't slurred. In fact, he didn't even sound drunk.

"Ya sure about that, sweetheart?" He said. I paled. He gripped my arm and began dragging me towards the exit. I pickpocketed two people on the way out.

"Sir, let me go now." I warned.

"What are you going to do, scream?" He taunted. He covered my mouth with one of his massive hands and began pulling me away. His puke green scent was everywhere and it was driving me up the wall. I tried biting him, but his grip on my arm was so tight that he threatened to snap the bone. He pulled me down the road and I struggled to rip away. I heard rustling and looked about. The Broadsword Man must've heard it too, because he looked for the source. He then grabbed rope from a nearby pile of boxes and other trash and tied me with it. He placed me on the ground, turned and drew his blades. My nose began itching.

"Who's there?" He called. All of a sudden, a figure jumped from the roof, landing in front of the man. The figure grabbed the man's hands and disarmed him. He threw the man against the nearby boxes, his swords falling useless to the ground. His assailant approached the swords. He picked them up and I gasped through my gag. The assailant was the Blue Spirit himself. He turned and looked at me. Wait... he wasn't a spirit... he had a scent... and it was amber. My eyes widened and I whined at him. I heard him gasp through his mask, and Zuko pushed up his mask, revealing his face.

"Avery? What the hell- Are you okay?" He asked. He knelt in front of me and tugged down the gag. I pulled a face.

"Ugh, I am _now_." I said. "Help me?"

"Where's my knife?"

"In my boot. Have fun." I said, lifting my foot. He sighed and pulled off my boot, then the other.

"Which boot?" He asked. I paled.

"I just realized that it _isn't_ in my boot like I hoped..."

"Avery, where is my knife."

"My bindings." I said bluntly.

"Why the hell would you put a knife _there_?!" He said. I shhed him, jerking my head at the knocked out man in the boxes. He repeated his question in a hiss.

"I have my reasons!" I said. "Again. I grew up in a bar, cut me some slack."

"Well how am I supposed to get you untied now? I am _not_ reaching in _there_." Zuko said. I sighed.

"The broadswords you just stole could be helpful." I said nonchalantly.

"I'll cut you." He said. I quirked an eyebrow.

"So you're saying you _want_ to carry me home, to Iroh, like _this_?" I said. Zuko frowned.

"Fine." He said. He grabbed one of his swords and began carefully cutting me out.

"So, what's with the get up?" I said casually, as if I weren't sprawled in his lap with a sword against my gut.

"I used this disguise to break the Avatar out of jail." Zuko said. I nodded.

"Hey, are you okay? You look like you're about to pass out." Zuko said. I shrugged, and that's when I realized Zuko had managed to cut me free. I grabbed the knife from my bindings and handed it to Zuko.

"This is yours." I mumbled. He plucked the knife from my fingers and I sighed.

"Please tell me you didn't drink anything."

"I didn't." I assured him. I curled into him. "I'm just tired."

"You're sick." He said. I mumbled a no, but I realized he was right. I was sick. How'd I get sick? Zuko grumbled something before sheathing his new swords, slipping his mask on, and picking me up bridal style.

"I'm not doing this because I want to, so don't get any ideas." He said. I laughed.

"You said that the night the ship blew up." I said. He looked at me in surprise through the eyeholes.

"You have a good memory."

"I never forget." I said. And then I blacked out.

* * *

**_Disclaimer : I don't own ATLA, only Avery, her dad, and her mom_**


	13. Chapter 13

"Avery, wake up." Someone said. I groaned and cracked open my eyes to see Iroh hovering over me. "Are you alright?"

"Just peachy. Why, did something happen?"

"Well, Zuko found you asleep outside the bar." He said. Then it clicked and I remembered what happened.

"Oh, geez. Don't worry, I didn't drink anything. Or eat for that matter." I said, rubbing my stomach. "What was wrong that you had to wake me up?"

"You were screaming and whining in your sleep." Iroh said. My eyes widened.

"That's never happened before. Sorry." I said. Zuko appeared from behind a tree and dropped two barrels of food at Iroh's feet.

"Where did you get these?" Iroh asked.

"What does it matter where they came from?" Zuko snapped, walking away. Iroh wore a serious expression on his face.

"Mmmm..." He took a bite out of one of the cupcakes Zuko brought. The jam dripped off his chin. "...mmmm!"

"Hand me one?" I said. He nodded and handed me a cupcake. I bit into it and nodded.

"These _are_ good." I said. I stood, wobbling at first, but walked over the barrel. I pulled out another cupcake.

"I'll go after him." I said. I walked from the cavern and followed Zuko's amber colored scent before finding said teen.

"Hey!" I called. He paused, turned, and gave me a grumpy look.

"What?" He snapped. I huffed.

"Geez, no need to be a grumpypuss." I held out the cupcake I brought for him. "You deserve one too. It's not easy to lie to a loved one."

"Right." He said darkly. I sighed as he continued staring at the pastry.

"It's for eating, Pouty. It's good, try it." I said. Zuko took the fluffy pastry from my hand and took a small bite. His expression turned less grumpy. "Better?"

"Yeah." He said, taking another bite. I began walking away. "Hey, where're you going?"

"To find a river!" I called cheerfully.

"Why?"

"Take a guess, Pouty." I said.

* * *

I blew my dripping hair from my eyes and shook out my head. I wrapped my freshly washed bindings and tugged on my clean clothes. I headed back to the cavern and my jaw dropped.

"Looks like you did some serious shopping." Iroh said, beside me. He picked up a big, gold-colored teapot. "But where did you get the money? Avery gained us a lot, but not enough for this."

"Do you like your new teapot?" Zuko asked, avoiding the question.

"To be honest with you, the best tea tastes delicious whether it comes in a porcelain pot or a tin cup." _Iroh walked over to Zuko and squatted down beside him. "_I know we've had some difficult times lately. We've had to struggle just to get by." He p_laced a hand on Zuko's shoulder who closed his eyes as if he was holding something back._ "But it's nothing to be ashamed of. There is a simple honor in poverty."

"There's no honor for me without the Avatar." Zuko said.

"Zuko..." I said, but trailed off, not knowing what to say. Iroh swooped in to finish for me.

"Even if you did capture the Avatar, I'm not so sure it would solve our problems. Not now." He said. Zuko turned away from his uncle.

"Then there is no hope at all." Zuko said. I frowned. Zuko went to stand up and leave the cave, but Iroh grabbed him by the shoulders and sat him down.

"No, Zuko! You must never give in to despair. Allow yourself to slip down that road and you surrender to your lowest instincts." Zuko bowed his head as he listened to his uncle's wisdom. "In the darkest times, hope is something you give yourself. That is the meaning of inner strength."

Zuko turned to face his uncle, who looked back at him with a sad look upon his face. Abruptly, Zuko pulled free from Iroh's grasp and headed out into the forest. I sighed.

"It was worth a shot, Iroh." I said, placing a hand on the wise man's shoulder. He sighed too.

"Knowing my nephew like I do, he is going to take my words and make a rash decision in response." Iroh said sadly. I smiled sadly.

"Let's hope he doesn't." I said.

* * *

"Uncle..." Zuko said, breaking the sad silence that had settled over the cavern since he left hours earlier. "I thought a lot about what you said."

Iroh's sad expression cleared up as he heard Zuko talk. I knew better though and my grip tightened on the pack at my side.

"You did? Good, good." Iroh said.

"It's helped me realize something. We no longer have anything to gain by traveling together." Iroh's brightened expression quickly disappeared again. "I need to find my own way."

Iroh bowed his head in sorrow. Zuko looked at his uncle for a moment before grabbing his backpack and walking away. I stood along with Iroh. Iroh saw the pack in my hand and nodded.

"Wait!" Iroh called. Zuko paused and turned. Iroh handed Zuko the reins of the ostrich horse. Zuko mounted, looked at his uncle one last time and went to head off, but I stop him. I jumped on behind him and he gave me a look.

"I promised to stay by your side, remember?" I said softly. He looked surprised before nodding. And we left.

* * *

_**I feel evil.**_

_**Disclaimer : I don't own ATLA, just Avery. **_

_**(A side note, if you're going to make my day and review, don't review with chain mail. It's obnoxious. Thank you.)**_


	14. Chapter 14

_**bendergurl123, judging from your latest comment, I think you'll find this one amusing.**_

* * *

Zuko shook my shoulder as we neared a town.

"Wha?"

"I don't trust those men, stay awake." He said quietly as we drew nearer. I nodded and tightened my grip on his waist. Zuko dismounted and walked to a vendor.

"Could I get some water, a bag of feed and something hot to eat?" Zuko asked the man, holding out two coins.

"Not enough here for a hot meal. I can get you _two_ bags of feed." he said. Zuko nodded. I noted that the four men were watching us and frowned. I then noticed two children hiding behind the store counter, looking amused. One of them giggled, then threw an egg. It hit a gambling soldier. The two boys ran off as the Earth Kingdom soldier turned around, looking angry. They only saw Zuko and I behind them, so they stood up indignantly. I sighed.

"Hey! You throwing eggs at us, strangers?" The leader yelled at Zuko.

"No."

"You see who did throw it?" Zuko turned.

"No." He repeated.

"That your favorite word, no?" One of the soldiers asked.

"Egg had to come from somewhere." The leader said. Zuko turned again.

"Maybe a chicken flew over." I remarked. One of the soldiers laughed, but the leader shot him a look that made him shut up. Just then, the store owner returned with our feed bags for the ostrich horse. The leader grabbed both bags before Zuko could take them. I frowned, ready to paralyze them.

"Thanks for your contribution. The army appreciates your support." He threw the bags to one of his fellow soldiers. "You better leave town. Penalty for stayin's a lot steeper than you can afford, stranger. Trust me." He patted his hammer at his side menacingly before turning and walking away.

"Those soldiers are supposed to protect us from the Fire Nation. But they're just a bunch of thugs." The store owner said. I rubbed my forehead. Zuko walks towards the ostrich horse and I. As he was about to re-mount, one of the little boys from earlier popped up from behind the animal, startling me. When'd he get there?

"Thanks for not ratting me out!" the kid said. His scent was an emerald shade. He was bound to be a good person. The soldiers from earlier were all dirt brown. Zuko ignored the boy, got on and started riding away. Lee casted him an annoyed look before brightening. Lee came up from behind and grabbed the reins.

"I'll take you to my house and feed your ostrich horse for you. Come on, I owe you!"

* * *

Zuko, Lee, and I arrived on a dirt road at the farm among mountains in the countryside. A little wooden farmhouse with a roof that needs re-shingling. I spotted several different types of hybrid pigs in enclosures. And they spotted us too. I cringed at the noise they made.

"No one can ever sneak up on us."

"No kidding." Zuko said, amused. Lee took the ostrich horse away. Zuko casted his glance off to the side; a pig rooster stood face to face with him and then crowed at him. I giggled. A man approached Zuko and I. A woman peered out from behind the farmhouse.

"You two friends of Lee's?" He asked. I smiled a bit as Lee came running out of the barn excitedly and grabbed his father's arm.

"This guy just stood up to the soldiers! And by the end, she practically had them running away!" Lee said. I smiled and waved slightly.

The woman from earlier came forward to join her husband and son, wiping her hands on a rag.

"Do they have names?" She asked her son. Zuko was a stuttering mess, and I was about to answer for us when the father cut in.

"He doesn't have to say who he is if he doesn't want to, Sela. Anyone who can hold his own against those bully soldiers is welcome here. Those men should be ashamed to wear Earth Kingdom uniforms." he said.

"The real soldiers are off fighting the War, like Lee's big brother Sensu. Supper's going to be ready soon. Would you like to stay?" Sela asked.

"We can't. We should be moving on." Zuko said. I gave him a look.

"Gansu could use some help on the barn. Why don't you two work for a while, and your wife can help me with dinner?" Sela said.

"We're no married!" Zuko exclaimed in embarrassment.

"Yet." I added. Zuko shot me a look. "We're only fiance's. We're actually traveling to tell my family the news."

"That's wonderful!" Sela said. I beamed and shot Zuko an eye look saying 'go with it!'

"What's can I help with?" I asked as Sela led me away.

* * *

"You can go get the boys." Sela said. I nodded, glad to help, and headed out. The woman had a lovely charchuse scent, and that told me she was nice. Only bad people had bad scents. For example, some fire nation soldiers were burgundy, while some were bloody crap. I approached the barn and scaled the ladder that Lee was resting on. He must've said, or asked, something bold, because Zuko, in surprise at the question, swung down his hammer a little too hard. He struck his thumb, now red, and groaned in pain.

"It's not nice to bother people about things they might not want to talk about. A man's past is his business." Gansu scolded.

"Geez, you alright?" I asked, scrambling over Lee. Zuko nodded, holding his thumb to his lips.

"What is it?" Gansu asked.

"Sela said that dinner is ready." I said. Zuko looked lost in thought all of a sudden. "Mankato, are you alright?"

"Hm?" Zuko said, snapping out of his trance. I smiled a bit.

"Dinner's ready. How about I help out with the roof instead? You need those thumbs." I said.

"You shou-"

"I hate to be rude, but I was raised in conditions were gender didn't determine what you can and can't do or accomplish." I said. Gansu hesitated before nodding.

"Fair enough. Any help is nice. Come, the food will get cold." He said. Gansu and Lee went down, leaving me on the roof with Zuko.

"Zuko, are you sure you're okay?" I asked. He sighed and shook his head.

"Want to talk about it?" I asked. He shook his head again. "Fine. C'mon, I'm starved."

* * *

"So, you don't seem like you're from around here." Lee said. Gansu went to scold him, but I laughed.

"It's alright. Mankato is more secretive about his past, I'm a lot more open." I said. "I actually am from the Earth Kingdom, just not from this place. How could you tell?"

"You're really dark."

"Lee!" I laughed.

"I am." I said. "My mom was from the Northern Water Tribe."

"Really? Cool!" Lee said. "Where are you going?"

"Hmm... well, my parents home isn't _too_ far from here. It's out of town, so there's no real town name to put to it." I said. Lee nodded.

"Why did your parents name you June?"

"Because that's when I was born. Plus, that was the name of an old family friend." I said.

"How old are you?"

"A lady _never_ reveals her age." I laughed, rustling Lee's mop of hair. He grinned.

"I'm ten!" He said. "How old are you, dad?"

"Lee..." His dad warned. I smiled.

"Hold on, I just realized something. You never look directly at someone. Why is that?"

"Oh. Well, it's because I'm color blind to everything but aura's." I said.

"Whoa, really?!" Lee exclaimed. "What's my color?"

"Emerald." I said.

"If you don't mind me asking, what am I?" Gansu asked.

"Not at all. You're mahogany." I said.

"And Sela's?"

"Charchuse." I said. "You are good people, I can tell because of your scents."

"What's mine?" Zuko said, behind me. I turned, wide eyed, before relaxing into a smile.

"You're amber." I said. His lips quirked in a half smile.

"Can you smell yourself?" Lee asked.

"Nope. As far as I know, I scentless." I said. "Wanna wiff?"

"Sure, why not?" Lee said. He grabbed my forearm and sniffed it. "Weird, you smell like rain."

"Really?" I looked to Zuko.

"Yeah... Anyways, I came up to tell you that Sela says to take a break since it's getting dark. Besides, you need you thumbs too." Zuko said, aiming the last sentence at me with an amused look.

"Good to know, Mankato. Thank you." Gansu said. "Good thing we finished the barn, huh?"

* * *

"I'm sorry, but the only spare room we have is the barn." Sela said.

"Oh it's no problem. A pile of hay is better than a pile of dirt and rocks." I joked.

"Very true. I put some blankets in there in case you get cold. Good night. And don't stay up too late." Sela said, leaving with a wink.

"Did she just make a sex joke?" I said. I then laughed. "I knew I liked this family."

"Great, there's only one hay pile." Zuko said. I rolled my eyes.

"It's a big hay pile. You get your half, I get mine." I said. I then walked over to the pile I claimed and fell onto it.

"Good night, Zuko." I said softly.

"Night."

* * *

One of my eyes snapped open as a door opens and Lee came sneaking in. He took the Dual Dao swords, but nearly stopped when Zuko made a sound in his sleep. Wait... crap, we did it again. Zuko and I were facing each other and he had an arm over my waist. Damn it, that's the fifth time since we separated from Iroh!

Nevertheless, Lee walked out of the barn with the swords and closed the squeaky door. Zuko's eyes popped open as if he was only feigning sleep the whole time.

"Who took the swords?" He asked.

"Lee." I told him. He got up and walked to the door. He paused with the door open.

"Well, are you coming or not?"

"I can't see very well in the dark." I said. Zuko nodded and walked over, holding out a hand. I took it and he pulled me up. He led me out of the barn.

"Can you tell where he went?" Zuko asked. I nodded, focusing on the emerald trail. We led each other to a large sunflower garden, where Lee was practicing with the swords. He jumped around and chopped off several sunflower heads. He started stabbing a nearby dead tree trunk repeatedly, his tongue lolling out of his mouth and breathed heavily in effort as Zuko and I silently approached behind him.

"You're holding them wrong." Zuko said. Lee fell backwards in surprise. Lee got back up, ashamed, a decapitated sunflower head perched on his. He held out the swords to Zuko. He took them, letting go of my hand.

"Keep in mind, these are dual swords. Two halves of a single weapon. Don't think of them as separate, 'cause they're not. They're just two different parts of the same whole."

Zuko swung around the swords carefully, demonstrating his skill. He cut off some sunflower heads, then turned around and handed the swords back to Lee to try. He took my hand again so that if Lee swung out he wouldn't hit me. Lee was a little more careful this time, and a little less awkward with the swords. He turned to Zuko once he was done his mini demonstration. Zuko smiled kindly; Lee smiled back and laughed. We began walking away from the sunflower patch but I paused, looking around.

"June?" Zuko said. I looked to him, then Lee, then him again.

"You go on ahead Lee." I said, walking back into the field. Zuko followed while Lee shrugged and walked away, whistling, bringing back the swords for us.

"Avery, what is it?" Zuko asked.

"My dad is here." I said, cocking my head to the side, listening. There it was again, a man's voice calling my name. Zuko and I turned in unison, frightened, as a loud growl erupted behind us. We stumbled back as we saw the source of the noise. A huge, holographic looking shirshu was standing there.

"Are you Chi?" Zuko spoke out. The shirshu snorted before shrinking down into the shape of a man.

"I am." He glanced between us. "Avery, I wasn't aware you were engaged."

"I'm not." I said, blushing.

"I'm teasing." He said. He held out his arms. "It's been awhile, daughter."

"So you _are _my dad." I said. Chi smirked.

"Of course! Where do you think you got your sense of humor?" Chi said. I smiled a bit. "So, who's this?"

"Zuk-"

"Ah! Yes! I knew I recognized you! Prince Zuko of the Fire Nation. I was close friends with your uncle. How is he?" Chi asked.

"Oh... we uh... we split up." Zuko said. Chi frowned.

"Uh oh. Well, in that case..." Chi cleared his throat. "Sorry I wasn't there for ya, kiddo."

"No problem." I said, rubbing my neck with my free hand.

"So, your sight's been getting better, right?" Chi said. I looked up at him.

"How'd you know?" I asked.

"I'm your dad." He said. "And I went through the same thing when I was a squirt like you. You stay colorblind, but not blind blind. You still see colors too."

"So it's normal then?" I said. He nodded and I sighed in relief. "Plus you see in the dark as if it were day."

"Well that's convenient." I remarked. He smirked.

"Well, off to bed you two. I just wanted to check up on you since I haven't seen you in 14 years." Chi said. I smiled slightly as he faded away.

"Well, that was... uh... _interesting_." Zuko said. I smiled.

"I like him."

"Wait, 14 years? How old _are_ you?"

"16. Don't worry, you're older by... When's your birthday again?" I asked as we began walking back to the barn.

"July 8."

"Right. Well, I'm August 14. So that's 2 months and 6 days. Congrats." I said. "Wait, how old did you _think_ I was?"

"To be honest, I didn't." Zuko said. I laughed and his lips quirked. We headed inside and closed the door. Zuko's swords hung in their original place on the wall. I laid down on the hay and Zuko settled next to me. I feigned sleep, and several minutes later, I felt a warm arm rest on my waist. I smirked and shifted closer.

"You're comfy too, Pouty." I said, yawning. I succumbed to the darkness of sleep.

* * *

It was morning again. Zuko mounted his ostrich horse again, ready to leave the hospitable family. Gansu, Sela and Lee had all come to see us off. I hugged Sela, then Gansu, and knelt in front of Lee.

"Thank you for bringing us here, Lee." I said, hugging the boy to me. He hugged me back. I stood and walked over to the ostrich horse. Zuko pulled me up behind him and I grabbed his waist. Sela reached up and offered us a package.

"Here. This ought to get you through a few meals." She said. I beamed at her gratefully. Zuko was just about to grab the package when he looked up and noticed what I had: a cloud of dust in the distance. It was Gow and his cronies riding in on ostrich horses. Gansu stepped forward.

"What do you think they want?" Gansu said.

"Trouble." I said darkly.

Gow and his crew rode toward the pig farm. The animals squealed, clearly irritated at their arrival. The Earth Kingdom 'soldiers' stopped right in front of Gansu's family and us.

"What do you want, Gow?" Gansu said in an even tone.

"Just thought someone ought to tell you that your son's battalion got captured." To his fellow 'soldiers', he said, "You boys hear what the Fire Nation did with their last group of Earth Kingdom prisoners?"

"Dressed 'em up in Fire Nation uniforms and put 'em on the front line unarmed, the way I heard it." One of them said. He spat on the ground. "Then they just watched."

"You watch your mouth!" Gansu growled, jabbing a finger at Gow and his men. Gow rode forward a little more toward Gansu but Zuko rode us in between them, interfering. Gow and Zuko glared at each other. Gansu glanced to me and my eyes flashed red.

"Why bother rooting around in the mud with these pigs?" Gow said. Gow turned around his ostrich horse and all four men rode away, kicking up a cloud of dust behind them. Zuko zoned out again while I was plain angry. Zuko still had us in front of the family protectively. Sela and Gansu were hugging behind us; Lee was standing close by.

"What's going to happen to my brother?" Lee asked softly in fear. I wanted to reach out to the boy, but I knew that I shouldn't get attached.

"I'm going to the front. I'm going to find Sensu and bring him back." Gansu announced. Sela and Gansu walked away Zuko, Sela crying desperately. Lee ran forward.

"When my dad goes... will you stay?" He asked us. I closed my eyes and turned my head.

"No. I need to move on." Zuko said. I felt Zuko shift and I looked to see him reaching behind him. He took out a sheathed dagger. I recognized it as the one I once stuffed down my shirt. Zuko bent down and gave it to Lee, who took it with a faint smile.

"Here. I want you to have this. Read the inscription." Zuko said. He unsheathed the dagger.

"Made in Earth Kingdom." Lee read. I smiled.

"The other one."

"Never give up without a fight." Lee read. And with that, we rode away from Lee. Lee ran after us for a little bit, but stopped shortly afterwards. I sighed, hugging Zuko and resting my cheek on his shoulder. I must've fallen asleep, because when I opened my eyes next, I was laying in a field. I lolled my head to the side to see Zuko holding his traveler's hat to his chest.

"Azula always lies." He muttered. My head shot up as I heard the sound of an ostrich horse. Zuko sat up and we saw Sela riding toward us in a carriage. She was frantic and panicked.

"Sela? What's wrong?" I asked, standing.

"Oh June! Mankato! You have to help! It's Lee - the thugs from town came back as soon as Gansu left. When they ordered us to give them food, Lee pulled a knife on them! I don't even know where he got a knife! Then they took him away." She began to sob. "They told me if he's old enough to fight, he's old enough to join the army. I know we barely know you, but..."

"We'll get your son back." Zuko and I said in unison. I pulled Zuko to his feet and we mounted our ostrich horse.

* * *

Zuko and I rode in on the ostrich horse through a small archway that entered into the town. The people around scattered when they see us coming. I couldn't blame them. When a girl with pissed demonic red eyes and her scarred friend ride in with the sun setting on them, it's a pretty dramatic and scary sight. Lee was tied up to a tower. He seemed sad, but when he looked up to see us, his face quickly regained hope.

"Hey! There they is! I told you they'd come!" Lee exclaimed. The Earth Kingdom 'soldiers' approached us, as does their leader, Gow. Zuko dismounted and took off his hat.

"Stay on the ostrich horse." He told me quietly.

"But-"

"I don't want you to get hurt." He said. He faced the soldiers, them glaring at each other, battle imminent.

"Let the kid go." Zuko said in a steely tone. Gow laughed loudly, but then quickly regained composure.

"Who do you think you are, telling us what to do?"

"It doesn't matter who I am. But I know who you are. You're not soldiers; you're bullies. Freeloaders, abusing your power. Mostly over women and kids. You don't want Lee in your army - you're sick cowards messing with a family who's already lost one son to the war." Zuko said proudly, loudly. I smiled.

"Are you gonna let this stranger stand there and insult you like this?" Gow said to a fellow soldier.

The soldier ran forward, spear in hand. He went to attack Zuko, who pulled out his sword and punched the other man in the stomach with the hilt without fully unsheathing his sword. Zuko re-sheathed his sword while the man slid backwards and ran away, panting heavily in fear.

A second Earth Kingdom soldier groaned and ran to attack Zuko with his spear this time. Zuko punched the spear upwards to move it out of the way, then grabbed onto the man's forehead and shoved him to the ground. The man got up slowly and fled as well.

A third Earth Kingdom soldier charged toward Zuko with his spear as well. Zuko stood there, waiting, until the spear is close enough, and then kicked the spear right in the middle, snapping it. The spearhead, along with half of the spear, went flying in the other direction. The soldier gasped, then ran away from Zuko like the two men before him. Lee laughed in satisfaction. A crowd had gathered; Sela's worried face was one of many. I sent her a reassuring smile.

With the last of his cronies gone, Gow stepped up to the plate to fight Zuko, dual hammers against dual swords. They drew their weapons, and Gow threw the first blow, a rock he had earthbent then powerfully thrust over to Zuko. Zuko deflected it readily with his swords. Gow struck again, this time with three large rocks instead of one. He sent them over in rapid succession to Zuko, who deflected the first two easily. However, the third rock hit him in the stomach and he stumbled backwards. I snarled and dismounted. This did not dismay Zuko though, and he charged Gow. An old man in the crowd cheered him on.

"Give him a left! A left!" The old man cheered. An old woman, who I assumed was his wife, gave him an odd look.

"It's not a fistfight..." The woman said.

"He's got a left sword, don't he?" Her husband replied. I smiled slightly.

Gow repeated the same earthbending trick as earlier; he threw three large rocks at Zuko. Zuko responded the same as before, deflecting the first two but the third one hitting him square in the abdomen. However, this time, he fell over and somersaulted backwards, and managed to get up, although weakened and still stumbling around. Gow smiled.

"Look out!" The old man called.

"Behind you!" Lee called.

Gow earthbent again, but with increasingly larger rocks each time. He shot four rocks at Zuko, who managed to destroy each, one by one. It continued that way, Gow no longer giving little recovery breaks to Zuko. Both are fighting at full force, although Zuko is so busy being defensive of the large flying rocks that he cannot become offensive to Gow. Gow creates a rockalanche and directed it at Zuko. The crowd and I gasped collectively. Zuko was sent flying and landed straight on his back. I ran forward.

"Zuko?" I whispered. I shook his shoulder, but he remained unresponsive. He was still breathing thankfully, but I was still seeing red. I turned, snarling, growing by the second. I shifted into my spirit shirshu and let out a roar that sent Gow back a few feet. The crowd was silent in shock. My roar apparently managed to wake Zuko too, because his eyes snapped open and he shot me a look that meant 'out of the way, quickly'. I moved and he reached for his swords and got up firebending, creating a hurricane of flame. Gow dropped his hammers and is pushed over, and landed on his back. Zuko stood there, seething at Gow. Although unarmed, Gow stood up and raised his fists, determined to finish the fight. Zuko charged him, sending various fire blasts. Gow tried to deflect them with earthbending, but the blasts were too powerful and he was sent backwards again. Rocks hit his head as he landed in with a cloud of dust.

"Who... who are you?" Gow said. I shifted back and placed a hand on Zuko's shoulder.

"My name is Zuko. Son of Ursa and Fire Lord Ozai. Prince of the Fire Nation, and heir to the throne."

"Liar! I heard of you! You're not a prince, you're an outcast! His own father burned and disowned him!" The same old man from earlier called.

"That is but rumors!" I called. "He _is_ a prince, if not in your eyes, then mine."

"And who are you?" The old man sneered.

"My name is Avery. Daughter of Lin and shirshu spirit Chi. Half spirit shirshu, and half mortal." I announced. The crowd look stuck between awe and fear. And then they bowed. I huffed.

Really? Pull it together people. None of that is necessary." I said. They all stood and parted, surprise etched on their features. Zuko kneeled down toward Gow, who shuddered in fear. However, Zuko did nothing to harm him; he only took Lee's dagger back. Zuko walked toward Lee to give it back, but Sela (who had been untying Lee) intervened.

"Not a step closer." She said slowly.

"It's yours. You should have it." Zuko said.

"No! I hate you!" Lee yelled. My eyes widened. I walked forward, and Sela looked suddenly frightened. I sighed in frustration.

"Why does everyone assume that if you're part spirit, you're a jerk?!" I exclaimed in annoyance. I walked over and knelt in front of Lee.

"Go away!" He yelled. Sela went to shut him up, as if I'd blow her son up, but I waved her off.

"I just wanted to say, I'm sorry for lying to you." I said. He looked surprised.

"What?"

"I'm sorry. But it was for our safety. But not all of it was a lie. I am from the Earth Kingdom." I said. I smiled, bowed slightly, and stood, walking back to Zuko. I placed a hand on his shoulder, snapping him out of his trance, and he looked up. I offered my hand and he took it. Together, we mounted the ostrich horse. And we left.

* * *

_**So, Avery finally meets her dad. I realize the scene's a bit awkward, but oh well. Who wouldn't be awkward in that kind of situation? I think Zuko is mentally scarred by having to pretend to be Avery's fiance. But then again, he also cuddled Avery 'in his sleep'... Well, you'll just have to find out what happens, won't you?**_

_**Disclaimer : I don't own ATLA**_

_**BTW, thank you to all of the reviewers! Your comments are greatly appreciated!**_


	15. Chapter 15

_**Disclaimer : I don't own ATLA, just Avery.**_

_**Ooo, I put the disclaimer at the beginning...**_

* * *

"Avery, wake up. Avery... Avery?"

"Hmm?"

"We have to move." Zuko said. I opened my eyes and yawned.

"Fine, but I'm sleeping." I said, allowing Zuko to pull me up. I mounted in front of Zuko and hugged the ostrich horses neck. Zuko mounted behind me and grabbed the reins.

"Avery, you might want to sit up. These things will choke you." Zuko said, gesturing the reins to demonstrate how they'd tighten on my neck. I grumbled and Zuko sighed. "You can use _me_ as a pillow, we just have to move."

"Fine." I said. I sat up, shifted forward, and leaned back against Zuko's chest. He was really warm. I felt the ostrich horse begin to move, but kept my eyes closed. It was peaceful sitting there, the wind brushing past, hearing the beating of Zuko's heart. I eventually fell asleep.

* * *

"Avery, wake up." Zuko said. My eyes snapped up and I looked up to see Zuko's face.

"What?" I asked.

"I need you to do me a favor." He said. I sat up and stretched, yawning yet again.

"Sure. What's up?"

"I need you to track a scent for me." He said. I glanced at him over my shoulder.

"Who?"

"Not exactly _who_, more of _what_." He said. And that's when I noticed the large tracks on the ground. My eyebrows rose. "Wow, okay, this should be simple."

"So..." I sneezed.

"It smells horrible." I announced.

"Then it's what I think it is." Zuko said.

"And that'd be...?"

"My sister." He said. I frowned.

"I don't trust Azula." I said.

"I don't either. Let's go." He said. The ostrich horse took off, following the tracks.

"Wait, you just agreed with me, why are we _following_ her?" I asked.

"Because she's after the avatar."

"Zuko, how ar-"

"I'm making her back off until I _can_ catch him." Zuko said.

* * *

"Hey, how come we're slowing down?" Zuko wondered aloud.

"He needs to rest." I said, placing a hand on our mounts head. Zuko swore and I gave him an amused look.

"Don't worry, he'll follow us." I said, jumping off our mount. I shifted into a shirshu and allowed Zuko to climb on. I grunted, and he took the hint that it meant 'hold on'. I took off like a shot, rocketing over the ground. Zuko held on to my fur for dear life and the ostrich horse trotted behind, following at a slow pace. Suddenly, the scents shifted and I began following a filthy mustard gold scent that I knew to be Azula's. I heard her speaking to someone, saying 'Do you really want to fight me?', and busted into the small town, Zuko jumping off my back.

"Yes, I really do." Zuko said.

"Zuko!" Aang yelped in shock. I shifted to my spirit human form and winked at Aang.

"How's it going, Aang?" I said casually.

"Avery?" He said. I nodded.

"Yeah, I learned a few things and tricks since we last met."

"I was wondering when you'd show up, Zuzu." Azula said.

"'Zuzu'?" Aang asked, hiding a snicker.

"Back off, Azula! He's ours!" Zuko said. I waved and prepared to protect Zuko in case.

"I'm not going anywhere." Azula said, assuming a fighting stance. We stood in tense silence, everyone's eyes darting from person to person. Azula had a smug smirk on her, Zuko was determined, and Aang looked confused and frightened. Azula was the first to move.

Azula moved her arm forward, firing a blast of blue fire at Zuko, who conjured up a fire shield to deflect it. He fells backward onto a front porch. Aang, upon seeing this, expressed horror and attempted to flee the town on his glider. He began soaring toward the back end of Tu Zin. Azula swung her arm downward, sending a stream of fire at Aang, who turned over mid-air and closed his glider, twirling the object to deflect the flames. He landed on the ground, still deflecting the flames. He stopped twirling his glider. Azula ran along the beam of a rooftop, prepared to strike him. Aang rolled over, grabbing hold of his glider just as Azula landed nimbly on the ground, sweeping around, sending a stream of fire his way. Azula rose and turned around. I grabbed Zuko's hand and pulled him to his feet. Aang leapt landed on the ground, in between the other Zuko and Azula. Zuko fired a blast at Aang who stepped to the side, managing to avoid the attack. Azula fired at the Avatar and missed.

After the three perform several unsuccessful attempts to land a blow, Aang ran past Azula, who sent another sweep of fire his way. Aang tried to escape toward the back end of town, Azula turning to face him and Zuko firing blasts of his own. Aang rounded a bend and ran past Azula once more, this time heading toward the front of town. Azula fired another blast at him, only to miss. Azula fired several more blows, one of which Zuko managed to deflect. He fired a shot at Azula and missed.

Azula swung her arms about, sending attacks at her opponents. The three of them continued to battle each other. Zuko leapt into the air directly behind her and struck the ground, unleashing a firebending attack in the process. The two siblings as two walls of fire, one blue and one orange were created as a result of the impact. Azula fired a blast at Zuko, who ducked and attempted to knock her off her feet. He fired a blast her only for the princess to duck. She swept her arm upward, sending a stream of fire his way. Zuko leapt into the air to avoid the attack. Azula then turned around and fired at Aang. The Avatar leapt into the air and landed onto an upper outdoors level of a nearby building.

Azula ran up the stairwell leading to the upper level, forcing Aang to run through the open doorway. Azula followed, and Zuko followed her. I headed for the lower level at the same time Zuko fell with a yell, sending up a cloud of dust. I cringed. The air ball Aang was riding suddenly began to dissipate. Azula nimbly sent a blast of fire at him. Aang leapt out of the way just as the air ball was terminated. He ran along the edges along the thin floor paneling and knocked Azula onto the first floor in the process.

Azula landed nimbly onto the ground near us. I pulled Zuko up and sent Azula a dark look. She smirked at me and sent a blast at my face. I backbended under the blast, then jumping out of the way as she fired again. I ran forward and lashed out with my nails, catching her shoulder. My claws ripped through her shirt and cut into her skin, causing her to yelp. She shot at me and I flipped over her, swinging out in the process. She was kicked forward and she sent me a dirty look before running forward. She smashed through the wall in a blast of fire. She ended up causing Zuko and I to fly out of the building. Zuko landed on the ground unconscious. I was able to slip into a somersault. I kneeled on one leg and looked to Azula and Aang. Aang looked at Zuko and I before turning around and seeing Azula heading straight toward him. He fled and leapt out of the way just as Azula sent another blast at him. Aang began alternately jumping between two buildings, with Azula firing blasts at each spot he landed on. Aang finally reaches the rooftop of the left building and scrambled to prop himself up.

Azula sent a blast of fire, slicing a portion of the rooftop off. Aang leapt off the crumbling portion onto another spot on the roof, only for Azula to repeat the same action. Aang scrambled to prop himself up only for the ceiling to cave in. He landed on the ground inside the building, trapped beneath a pile of wooden planks. Azula entered the building through the doorway and sent two streams of fire along the sides of the wall. The blue fire spreaded around the perimeter of the room and turned an orange hue. Aang looked horrified and attempted to break free. I swore and jumped up, running in.

Azula, back to me, held up one hand, two fingers pointing outward, her typical lightning generation pose. Katara suddenly appeared next to me and sent a water whip at Azula, guiding her hand off course. Katara bent the stream of water around her and sliced the wooden planks, thus freeing Aang.

"Katara!" Aang exclaimed in joy. Azula swiftly turned around and fired a blast at the waterbender, who I pushed out of the building along the porch and closely followed.

"Who are you?" Katara asked.

"Later. I'm on your side... and Zuko's..." I said. Azula followed us in hot pursuit, only to be halted by Sokka, who emerged from another doorway and swung his machete her way. Katara ran off, while Azula was forced to duck. Sokka then began chasing her. Azula was now being cornered by him, Katara and Aang.

Aang ran straight toward Azula. He leapt over her just as Azula fired a blast at him. She turned around and blocked a water whip Katara sent at her. She fired a blast at Sokka and swung her arm outward to prolong the blast. Aang appeared behind her. She turned around and nearly managed to strike him with another blast. Azula swung her arm outward, sending an arched fire blast at the three. Azula stood, poised for attack. She suddenly fell over to the side; A young girl appeared from an alleyway, having just shifted the ground beneath her feet.

"I thought you guys could use a little help." She said. Katara smiled at her.

"Thanks, Toph." She said. Toph, huh. I liked her already. Azula rose to her feet and began running away. Azula ran through an alley. She leapt over some crates and tried to escape, however, Iroh intervened, using his round belly to knock her off her feet. Zuko appeared next to him and he nodded to me. Aang, Katara, Sokka, Toph, Zuko, Iroh, and I all cornered Azula against the ruins of a stone wall. Coolly, Azula backed up as her enemies surround her.

"Well, look at this. Enemies and traitors, all working together. I'm done." She raised her hands in surrender. "I know when I'm beaten. You got me. A princess surrenders with honor."

Iroh, who averts his gaze toward the other members, who remain on high alert. Azula smirked. Then she smiled and took a step forward, firing a blast at Iroh. Time seemed to slow down. I gasped as the flame flew towards Iroh, his eyes widening. I then moved and leapt, pushing Iroh out of the way, and putting myself in the way. The crash caused Iroh to yelp. And then it hit me. I screamed and fell.

* * *

-3rd person-

Zuko cried out in surprise as his friend fell in pain, having shoved his uncle out of the way.

The remaining five turned to face Azula, four of them bending their respective elements and Sokka throwing his boomerang straight for her. The impact of the elements created a minor explosion, sending a thick cloud of smoke everywhere. The buildings in the town were now set alight, burning embers falling from the sky. Aang looked from his defensive position at the effect. The smoke clearing to reveal that Azula had vanished from the scene without a trace. Iroh stood at his nephew's shoulder as Zuko kneeled before his friend, dismayed at the turn of events.

"Ugggh!" Zuko groaned angrily. He looked at Team Avatar. "Get away from us!"

Toph showed signs that she could detect vibrations using seismic sense. Avery was still breathing, indicating that she was still alive. But her breathing was ragged, showing she was in pain. Katara approached Zuko.

"Zuko, I can help." Katara said. Zuko turned and blasted an arc of fire.

"Leave!" He cried, voice shaking. The Team tensed, ready to run, but Iroh raised his hand telling them to wait a moment. They watched in silence as the watched their enemy break down before their eyes, Toph only able to sense the waves of his shaking shoulders. Suddenly, Avery's hand twitched, then moved to rest on Zuko's knee. She coughed once as Zuko looked to her in watery-eyed surprise.

"Z-Zuko?" She said softly, weakly.

"Avery?" Zuko gasped, taking her shaking hand.

"Is Iroh... is he..."

"I'm right here, Avery." Iroh said. Avery smiled, eyes unable to lock anything.

"Good." She said. "Zuko?"

"Yes, Avery?" Zuko asked.

"Do... do you think I'll get to see my parents again?" She asked in a whisper. Her breathing slowed to a near stop and her eyes closed. Zuko stared in surprise eyes watering.

"Avery?" no response. "Avery..." she remained quiet. "_Avery!_"

"Zuko, let them help." Iroh said calmly, though his eyes showed worry. Zuko continued to hold his limp friend, sobbing into her scarred shoulder. "Avery might survive with her healing."

"Help her." Zuko said. Katara kneeled on Avery's opposite side and uncapped her water pouch, the water flowing around her hands. She placed her hands to Avery's wound and the water began to glow...

* * *

_**And I'm evil enough to leave it there. HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!**_


	16. Chapter 16

_"Help her." Zuko sa__id. Katara kneeled on Avery's opposite side and uncapped her water pouch, the water flowing around her hands. She placed her hands to Avery's wound and the water began to glow..._

Avery coughed weakly and groaned, unconscious but alive. Zuko smiled gratefully and his eyes lit up.

"Avery!" He exclaimed. But something was wrong. Katara gasped and ripped her hands back as if stung. The blue glow stayed on Avery's wound, began glowing green, and then spread over her whole body. The group scrambled back as Avery began glowing a dangerous radioactive green. And then she disappeared in a burst of light.

* * *

-Avery POV-

**I sat up and gasped in breath, clutching at my chest as if it would calm my heart.**

**"Avery." Some said behind me. I looked and saw Chi. My eyes widened.**

**"Am I..."**

**"No, you aren't dead. I made the decision to keep you here in the Spirit World, to keep you safe." Chi said. I stood, angry.**

**"You did _what_?!" I exclaimed.**

**"I took you from the mortal world, and brought you here." Chi said.**

**"And you just decided to end my life without my consent!" I yelled.**

**"You're still alive." Chi said. I frowned.**

**"Send me back."**

**"What? No."**

**"SEND. ME. BACK." I said.**

**"You are staying here where it's safe, and that's final." Chi said in a stony voice. I turned and sat, giving the middle finger to my dad. "Avery, come on."**

**"No."**

**"Aver-"**

**"LEAVE ME ALONE!" I yelled, my voice echoing around the swamp. Chi took a step back in shock before storming away. I hugged my knees to my chest and tried to process what had just happened. My dad kidnapped me from the mortal world. He took me to the Spirit World. I miss Zuko.**

**I shook my head, clutching my hair, not even feeling the pain of my hair being pulled. I felt so angry that I was numb. What was Chi thinking?! I have a life! I want to live it!**

**I leaned over the water and looked into it, my salty tears mixing with those of my reflection. I felt something nudge my shoulder and looked to see Hei-Bai, a panda spirit, looking at me. I smiled a bit.**

**"Hi." I said weakly. Hei-Bai waddled to the waters edge and shot a beam of light at the water. It rippled and shook, before clearing into a small glassy surface. Hei Ba grunted at me and I blinked in surprise.**

**"Uh... show me Zuko." The glassy water rippled.**

* * *

"I hope I made it the way you like it." Zuko says, handing a cup of tea to his uncle. Iroh downs it and grimaces.

"Good. That was very... uhhh... bracing." He is handed another cup, which he throws out secretly behind his shoulder.

"So Uncle, I've been thinking. It's only a matter of time before I run into Azula again. I'm going to need to know more advanced firebending if I want to stand a chance against her. I know what you're going to say: she's my sister and I should be trying to get along with her."

"No, she's crazy, and she needs to go down." He rises from his spot on his bed. "It's time to resume your training."

* * *

**I smiled a bit and lazily ran my finger over the surface, deterring the image. I layed on my stomach, Hei-Bai settling at my side, and watched another scene play out.**

* * *

"Lightning is a pure form of firebending, without aggression. It is not fueled by rage or emotion the way other firebending is. Some call lightning the cold-blooded fire. It is precise and deadly, like Azula. To perform the technique requires peace of mind." Iroh says.

"I see. That's why we're drinking tea, to calm the mind." Zuko says, taking a sip of his own cup.

"Oh yeah, good point! I mean, yes." Iroh says. They move outside, leaving their cups of tea inside._ "_There is energy all around us. The energy is both yin and yang. Positive energy and negative energy. Only a select few firebenders can separate these energies. This creates an imbalance. The energy wants to restore balance, and in a moment the positive and negative energy come crashing back together, you provide release and guidance, creating lightning." He steps up, and generates lightning, and shoots it away from them.

"I'm ready to try it!" Zuko says with excitement.

"Remember, once you separate the energy, you do not command it. You are simply its humble guide. Breathe first." Iroh instructs. Zuko takes a deep breath. He tries to generate lightning, but instead an explosion launches him back. Iroh shakes his head in disappointment.

* * *

**"Poor Zuko..." I said. Hei-Bai nudged my shoulder and I rubbed his head.**

**"I know, I won't get obsessed. I just want to watch." I said. He huffed in his way of saying 'fine'. I ran my hand through the image and watched.**

* * *

Another attempt by Zuko to generate lightning fails.

"Why can't I do it? Instead of lightning it keeps blowing up in my face... like everything always does." Zuko says.

"I was afraid this might happen. You will not be able to master lightning until you have dealt with the turmoil inside you." Iroh says.

"What turmoil?"

"Zuko, you must let go of your feelings of shame if you want your anger to go away." Iroh says.

"But I don't feel any shame at all. I'm as proud as ever." Zuko says, unconvincing. **I gasped as it hit me. He thought I was dead, and he blamed himself.**

"Prince Zuko, pride is not the opposite of shame, but its source. True humility is the only antidote to shame." Iroh says.

"Well, my life has been nothing but humbling lately." Zuko mutters.

"I have another idea. I will teach you a firebending move that even Azula doesn't know, because I made it up myself."

* * *

**It was too much. I slashed my hand through the water. Hei-Bai grunted beside me and I shakily sighed.**

**"I know Hei Ba. I should stop. But..." The next image began playing.**

* * *

"Fire is the element of power." Iroh draws the firebending insignia in the dirt. "The people of the Fire Nation have desire and will, and the energy to drive and achieve what they want. Earth is the element of substance." He draws the earthbending insignia. "The people of the Earth Kingdom are diverse and strong. They are persistent and enduring. Air is the element of freedom." He draws the airbending insignia. "The Air Nomads detached themselves from worldly concerns and found peace and freedom. Also, they apparently had pretty good senses of humor! Water is the element of change." He draws the waterbending insignia. "The people of the Water Tribe are capable of adapting to many things. They have a deep sense of community and love that holds them together through anything."

"Why are you telling me these things?" Zuko asks.

"It is important to draw wisdom from many different places. If you take it from only one place, it becomes rigid and stale." He divides the four insignias into separate sections. "Understanding others, the other elements, and the other nations will help you become whole." He draws a circle around the insignias.

"All this four elements talk is sounding like Avatar stuff."

"It is the combination of the four elements in one person that makes the Avatar so powerful. But it can make you more powerful, too. You see the technique I'm about to teach you is one I learned by studying the waterbenders." Iroh says.

**The image buzzed and rippled as it fast-forwarded.**

"Waterbenders deal with the flow of energy. A waterbender lets their defense become their offense, turning their opponents' energy against them. I learned a way to do this with lightning." Iroh tells Zuko.

"You can teach me to redirect lightning?" Zuko exclaims in surprise.

"If you let the energy in your own body flow, the lightning will follow it. You must create a pathway from your fingertips, up your arm to your shoulder, then down into your stomach. The stomach is the source of energy in your body. It is called the sea of chi. Only in my case it is more like a vast ocean." Iroh laughs. **I smiled. **"From the stomach, you direct it up again, and out the other arm. The stomach detour is critical. You must not let the lightning pass through your heart, or the damage could be deadly. You may wish to try a physical motion, to get a feel for the pathways' flow, like this." The two begin to practice the redirection motion. "Now, are you focusing your energy? Can you feel your own chi flowing in, down, up, and out?"

"I think so."

"Come on, you've got to feel the flow." They practice the motion for a few minutes. "Excellent! You've got it!"'

"Great, I'm ready to try it with real lightning!" Zuko exclaims.

"What, are you crazy? Lightning is very dangerous!" Iroh says. **I couldn't help but laugh.**

"I thought that was the point! You teaching me to protect myself from it!" Zuko says.

"Yeah! But I'm not going to shoot lightning at you! If you're lucky, you will never have to use this technique at all!"

"Well, if you won't help me, I'll find my own lightning." He rides away.

* * *

**I looked to Hei-Bai.**

**"That can't be good." I said. Hei-Bai grunted.**

* * *

Zuko has tracked down a storm, seeking lightning. **I gasped. **

**"Oh, Zuko..."**

"You've always thrown everything you could at me! Well, I can take it, and now I can give it back! Come on, strike me! You've never held back before!" Zuko screamed. Thankfully, no lightning strikes him. Tears stream down Zuko's cheeks, and he yells at the top of his lungs.

* * *

**I ripped my gaze from the image, tears streaming from my eyes. Hei-Bai nuzzled my neck and I looked to him.**

**"Thank you, Hei-Bai." I said, rubbing at my face. He grunted.**

* * *

_**Feel free to express whatever annoyance you feel via reviews/PM's**_

_**Disclaimer : I don't own ATLA**_


	17. Chapter 17

**"She hasn't moved. At all." Hei-Bai told Chi. Chi swore.**

**"Seriously?"**

**"Seriously."**

**"What should I do?!" **

**"Go see her." Hei-Bai 'said'.**

**"What? Why?"**

**"Just go." **

* * *

**"Avery?" Chi asked, carefully approaching his daughter. She continued to stare blankly at the images that flashed in front of her. "Avery..."**

**"C'mon, you can't stay like this forever!" Chi said. Avery's ear twitched. "Please Avery."**

**"She's killing herself." Hei-Bai said, waddling forward.**

**"What?"**

**"She's alive, but she isn't living. She is killing herself. She would rather actually die than stay trapped here." Hei-Bai said.**

**"She isn't trapped." Chi said.**

**"You kidnapped her from her friends and then left her in a swamp. Her friends think she's dead. She can't see her loved ones."**

**"But... I'm her loved one..."**

**"You left her when she was two years old. Have you any idea what has happened to this poor child in those lonely 14 years?" Hei-Bai said. Chi was taken aback.**

**"But..."**

**"Let her go." Hei-Bai said. "She misses him."**

**"'him'?"**

**"Prince Zuko. She and him have bonded quite a lot. See, they love each other, but they're teenagers, so they won't admit it."**

**"No... I can't, I need to protect her."**

**"Then do so when she needs protecting!" Hei-Bai said. "This is unnecessary and wrong!"**

**"_Fine_." Chi said. He kneeled next to his daughter and waved a hand through the image she was looking at, ending it permanently. "Avery, honey... I'm going to send you back. Are you ready?"**

**Avery looked at him with wide eyes before nodding. Chi sighed and focused. Avery began glowing green again, and vanished back to the mortal world in a flash of light.**

**"You did the right thing." Hei-Bai said. Chi sighed again, covering his face with his hands.**

**"I hope you're right."**

* * *

"Would you like some tea first? I'd love some. How about you, Kahchi? I make you as a jasmine man. Am I right?" I heard someone say. I recognized the voice as Iroh's. I ran forward through the brush and peered through the trees at them. Iroh and Zuko were in firebending stances, surrounded by a group of men. The Rough Rhino's. I felt anger grow in my veins seeing Zuko and Iroh threatened.

"Enough stalling! Round 'em up!" Mongke said. I leapt forward, into the circle, and shifted into my spirit form, enhanced by my time in the Spirit World. I let out a mighty roar, scaring the rhino's back. I summoned the power I had gained and let it out as a blast of green light, knocking the men off their rhino's, or scaring them away. By the time the smoke cleared, only one rhino was left, and he snorted at us. I shifted back and turned, looking at Zuko and Iroh, who were frozen in shock.

"Z-Zuko." I said, voice cracking with misuse. I took a single step forward, and I was suddenly grabbed forward into a hug from Zuko. I held him tightly and cried into his shoulder.

"Where have you been?" Zuko asked quietly.

"My father brought me to the Spirit World to keep myself."

"Why'd he send you back?"

"Hei-Bai convinced him to let me go." I said.

"I thought you were dead." Zuko said.

"I did too." I said. "I missed you."

"I missed you too."

"C'mon, we need to move on." Iroh said. I hugged him.

"I missed you too, Iroh."

"I did too. Let's go." We mounted the last rhino, Iroh, then Zuko, then me. I hugged his waist. He never let go of my hand.

* * *

**"See, she's happier with him and his uncle." Hei-Bai said as they watched Chi's daughter ride off with Zuko and Iroh. Chi closed the image and sighed.**

**"I really thought it was the right thing to do." Chi said. Hei-Bai nudged Chi's knee with his nose.**

**"She isn't a little pup anymore. She can handle herself. And her friends for that matter. Quit worrying about it."**

**"Whatever you say, Hei-Bai."**

* * *

Zuko, Iroh, and I sat at a table in the tavern at the Misty Palms Oasis. Zuko and I were still holding hands.

"No one here is going to help us. These people just look like filthy wanderers." Zuko said.

"So do we. Especially Avery." I glanced at myself. I was a mess. Iroh pointed at something behind us._ "_Ah, this is interesting. I think I found our friend."

Zuko and I turned around to see where Iroh was pointing at, and we saw an old man sitting at a Pai Sho table.

"You brought us here to gamble on Pai Sho?" Zuko asked.

"I don't think it's a gamble." I whispered.

We walked toward the Pai Sho table.

"May I have this game?" Iroh asked politely. He gestured Iroh to sit down.

"The guest has the first move." Iroh places the lotus tile in the center of the board. "I see you favor the white lotus gambit. Not many still cling to the ancient ways." He cups his hands toward Iroh.

"Those who do can always find a friend." Iroh said. He copied the gesture of the old man, also cupping his hands toward him.

"Then let us play." He said.

The old man placed a tile on the board, quickly followed by a tile placed by Iroh. Seemingly without even looking at what the other person is doing, the two men quickly placed their tiles on the board. Zuko and I sat down and watched intently as the two man placed one tile after the other. When they were done, their tiles formed the shape of a lotus flower. I smiled.

"Welcome, brother. The White Lotus opens wide to those who know her secrets."

"What are you old gasbags talking about?" Zuko asked. I nudged him.

"He did try to tell you that Pai Sho is more than just a game." I said. Iroh rolled a tile over his knuckles and clutched it with a wink.

"It's over! You two fugitives and your girlfriend are coming with me!" A man yelled. The Pai Sho man quickly placed himself before us, preventing the men who I recognized as Xin Fu and Yu from reaching us.

"I knew it! You two are wanted criminals with a giant bounty on your heads!" He yelled.

"I thought you said he would help!" Zuko hissed at Iroh. I grinned.

"He is." I said. I stood, winked at Zuko, and yelled. "You never told me you were fugitives!"

"Just watch." Iroh added.

"You think you're going to capture them and collect all that gold?" The man said.

"Gold?" A stranger asked. Every person in the bar looked up when they heard the word 'gold'. Some of them stood up, pulling a knife, ready to attack.

"Uh... Maybe we shouldn't." Yu said.

Xin Fu grinned. As he moved towards Zuko and Iroh, two men jumped in front of him to block his path. With a reverse roundhouse kick, the earthbender bent a rock from the ground and easily pushed them out of his way.

"C'mon, let's go." I said. The Pai Sho stranger led us out through the mounting chaos.

* * *

We were in a small village at the edge of the desert, where we followed the Pai Sho player, Fung, into a flower shop.

"It is an honor to welcome such a high-ranking member of the Order of the White Lotus. Being a Grand Master, you must know so many secrets." Fung said.

"Now that you played Pai Sho, are you going to do some flower arranging, or is someone in this club going to offer some real help ?" Zuko snapped. I squeezed his hand and gave him a look.

"You must forgive my nephew. He is not an initiate and has little appreciation for the cryptic arts. Avery, though, has much appreciation. She is the daughter of Chi after all." Iroh said.

"Ah, it is an honor." Fung said, bowing to me. I was flustered at the attention.

"Uh, thanks?" I said to his retreating form. Fung led Iroh toward a door with a peephole in it. He knocked two times. A man slid open the small window in the door and peeked through.

"Who knocks at the guarded gate ?" The doorman asked.

"One who has eaten the fruit and tasted its mysteries." Iroh replied.

Iroh smiled as the door opened to let him and the Pai Sho player through. When Zuko attempted to follow them, the door slammed shut in front of him. He looked at the door with a pout when Iroh opened the small window.

"I'm afraid it's members only. Wait out here._" _An annoyed Zuko and crosses his arms as he rests against a nearby table. He leaned over to sniff the plant on the table. I smirked. "Oh, Avery, you may join us if you wish."

"No, I'm staying back with Pouty." I said. Iroh smirked through the window and closed it. I rolled my eyes and settled on the ground. Zuko sat next to me and I leaned my head on his shoulder. He wrapped an arm around my waist.

"So..." Zuko said. I smiled a bit.

"What's bugging you?" I asked.

"Nothing." Zuko lied. I sighed.

"I know." I said.

"You know what?"

"What's bugging you. You're still bothered by my sudden disappearance." I said. I sat up a bit. "What made you think that hunting down lightning was a good idea?"

"How did you know?" Zuko asked.

"Hei-Bai showed me a way to watch over you two since I wasn't allowed to leave. And don't worry, I'm not a pervert. But really, what made you think-."

"I didn't." Zuko said. "I wasn't thinking. I was just so... angry that I wasn't able to protect you."

"Zuko, how could you have protected me in that situation?" I said. "I pulled a kamikaze instead of just pulling Iroh out of the way."

"Avery, I thought you _died_. Do you have any idea what that was like?" Zuko said. I was taken aback.

"No, I don't." I said. Zuko sighed, covering his face with his hands.

"It was horrible. I thought I had lost my only friend..." Zuko said. My heart ached. I reached out and placed a hand on his shoulder. He looked up and I smiled.

"But you didn't." I said. "I'm still here. And I promised that I'd be sticking by your side, remember?"

"Yeah, I remember." Zuko said with a slight smile. I snuggled into his side again.

"Then quit worrying." I said. He smirked, closing his eyes. I did too, and I drifted off.

* * *

Zuko and I were startled by the squeaking of the door. Iroh stepped through as Zuko took on a defensive stance.

"What's going on? Is the club meeting over ?" Zuko asked. I stood, rubbing my neck.

"Everything is taken care of. We're heading to Ba Sing Se." Iroh said. Iroh and Fung bowed to each other in respect.

"Ba Sing Se? Why would we go to the Earth Kingdom capital ?" Zuko asked.

"The city is filled with refugees. No one will notice two more." Fung said.

"We can hide in plain sight there. And it's the safest place in the world from the Fire Nation. Even I couldn't break through to the city." Iroh said, happily shrugging his shoulders. I smiled. A bell signaled that someone had entered the shop. A young man approached our group, holding up some papers.

"I have the passports for our guests, but there are two men out on the street looking for them." he said.

"Xin Fu and Yu." I said darkly. I saw Xin Fu and Yu through a small window in the door of the flower shop. They were holding up a wanted poster that depicted Iroh, Zuko, and I to man walking by. Wow, when'd _I _become wanted?

I spotted a large flower pot and smirked.

"I've got an idea."

* * *

"Why did there have to be only two pots." Zuko asked rhetorically in annoyance. I held a hand over his mouth and gave him a look that said 'shut up or we all die'.

"Hey you, where are these men ? I got a tip that they're in your shop." I heard Xin Fu say.

"As you can see, no one is here but us." The florist said.

"We know all about your secret back room.Xin Fu, kick it down." Yu said. I heard the pounding of footsteps and my eyes widened in panic. Zuko took my hand off his mouth and held it tightly. I cringed as a large crash sounded.

"Hey! That room is for flowers only!" The florist yelled.

"Some unlucky soul has an incomplete Pai Sho set." Yu said. I heard a slapping noise.

"Let's go back to finding the girl." Xin Fu said. I wondered who the girl was. We began moving. Zuko peered out the pot for a second before ducking back in. I squeezed his hand with a smirk.

"Ready for Ba Sing Se?" I asked. He smirked too.

"Ready."

* * *

_**Disclaimer : I don't own ATLA.**_

_**Yay! I gave Avery back!**_


	18. Chapter 18

Zuko, Iroh, and I were on board a ferry that had just departed.

"Who would have thought after all these years, I'd return to the scene of my greatest military disgrace..." Iroh turned away for a second, then turned back with a floral hat on his head. "as a tourist!"

"Look around. We're not tourists, we're refugees." Zuko sipped his food and spat it out. "Ugh! I'm sick of eating rotten food, sleeping in the dirt. I'm tired of living like this!"

"Aren't we all? My name's Jet and these are my Freedom Fighters, Smellerbee and Longshot." Jet said. I turned and gasped. I stood.

"Jet?" I asked. He quirked an eyebrow.

"Do I know you?" He asked.

"Think back a really long time ago. You did a co-op mission with a woman named June. Remember?" I asked. He furrowed his eyebrows before nodding. "I am, well, _was_ her shirshu. We split up."

"Nyla?" He said. I nodded

"My real name's June too though." I said. He grinned.

"Long time, no see." He said. "Alright, here's the deal. I hear the captain's eating like a king while the refugees have to feed off his scraps. Doesn't seem fair, does it?"

"What sort of king is he eating like?" Iroh asked.

"The fat, happy kind." At this, Iroh's mouth hung open as he started to drool. "You want to help us 'liberate' some food?"

"We're in." Zuko said, tossing the bowl of rotten food into the water. Jet smirked.

"Alright, here's the plan."

* * *

Zuko, Jet, Smellerbee, and I snuck up to the food storage area. I broke the lock with a swift kick and Zuko jimmied open the door with his swords. Jet and Zuko took some food.

"Guard's coming!" Smellerbee warned. Longshot fired an arrow with a rope attached to it, allowing us four to slide down it. Longshot pulled it away before the guard noticed.

* * *

Jet went to pass out food to other travelers. The other Freedom Fighters, Zuko, Iroh, and I sat together.

"So, Smellerbee, that's an unusual name for a young man." Iroh said. I facepalmed.

"Maybe it's because I'm not a man ... I'm a girl!" Smellerbee said. She got up and walked away.

"Oh, now I see. It's a beautiful name for a lovely girl!" Iroh called. I shook my head as Longshot stood and went after her.

"From what I heard, people eat like this every night in Ba Sing Se. I can't wait to set my eyes on that giant wall." Jet said, sitting down next to us.

"It is a magnificent site." Iroh said.

"So you've been there before?" Jet asked.

"Once. When I was a ... different man." Iroh said.

"I've done some things in my past that I'm not proud of, but that's why I'm going to Ba Sing Se: for a new beginning. A second chance." Jet said. I smiled at him.

"That's very noble of you." Iroh said.

"I believe people can change their lives if they want to. I believe in second chances." I said. Jet gave me a look and I looked away. I stood. "Excuse me."

"June..." Zuko said as I walked away to the back of the ferry. I looked over the water and closed my eyes, gritting my teeth. So many disconnected thoughts slammed against my head. I opened my eyes as a warm hand touched my shoulder. I looked over to see Zuko. He held open his arms and I hugged him. He smoothed my shoulder-length hair as I squeezed him tightly, jaw taught.

"What's wrong?" Zuko asked.

"I'm just really overwhelmed." I said. Zuko rested his chin on my head and hummed in agreement.

"I get it." He said.

"You know, as soon as I saw your scar, I knew exactly who you were. You're an outcast, like me. And us outcasts have to stick together. We have to watch each other's backs. Because no one else will." Jet said.

"I've realized lately that being on your own isn't always the best path." Zuko said. I smirked against his chest and pulled back, holding his hand tightly. The ferry closed in on the walls and I grinned.

"New life, here we come."

* * *

A ticket woman is inspected our tickets.

"So, Mr. Lee, Ms. June, and Mr. ummm... Mushy, is it?" The lady said.

"It's pronounced Mushi."

"You telling me how to do my job?" the woman snapped.

"Uh, no, no. But may I just say you're like a flower in bloom. Your beauty is intoxicating." Iroh said. Zuko and I exchanged glances.

"You're pretty easy on the eyes yourself, handsome. Raorr! Welcome to Ba Sing Se." She stamped our tickets.

"I'm going to forget I saw that." Zuko said in disgust, grabbing his and mine tickets and walking away. Zuko, Iroh, and I sat in the waiting area. Jet approached and sat next to me. My hand tightened on Zuko's.

"So, you guys got plans once you're inside the city?" Jet asked.

"Get your hot tea here! Finest tea in Ba Sing Se!" A tea seller called out.

"Ooh! Jasmine please." Iroh said. The tea seller poured tea into a leaf cup for Iroh. Iroh sipped the tea, but soon grimaced at its repulsive taste.

"Blaugh! Ugh, coldest tea in Ba Sing Se is more like it! What a disgrace!" Iroh sputtered in disgust.

"Hey, can I talk to you two for a second." Jet said, motioning for us to follow him. Zuko sighed and we reluctantly rose. We walked several feet away from Iroh's spot.

"You two and I have a much better chance of making it in the city if we stick together. You want to join the Freedom Fighters?" Jet offered.

"Thanks, but I don't think you want us in your gang." Zuko said.

"Come on, we made a great team looting that captain's food. Think of all the good we could do for these refugees."

"I said no." Zuko said, walking away.

"Have it your way." Jet said. He caught sight of Iroh, who was sipping his now steaming hot tea, causing his eyes to widen in shock and realization. Zuko, approaching Iroh, glanced over his shoulder at Jet, who narrowed his eyes and walked away. Angrily, he knocked the tea cup out of Iroh's hand.

"Hey!" Iroh yelped.

"What are you doing firebending your tea? For a wise, old man, that was a pretty stupid move!" Zuko hissed.

"I know you're not supposed to cry over spilled tea, but..." He sniffed. "it's just so sad!"

* * *

We boarded the train, Jet and his group eying us. Iroh and Zuko and I sat ourselves next to a man and his family. Iroh noticed a small infant.

"What a handsome baby." He stroked the infant. The woman beamed.

"Thank you." She said. I leaned my head against Zuko's shoulder and closed my eyes. I let out a breath I didn't know I was holding.

* * *

**Chi closed the image and looked to Hei-Bai.**

**"So, how soon until you think they finally admit that they're in love to each other?" I said. Hei-Bai gave me a grizzly smile. _((Get it? Cause he's a bear?))_**

**"My guess is that something bonding will occur very soon. After all, Ba Sing Se is the land of opportunity." Hei-Bai said. Chi smirked.**

**"I should make you the godfather." Chi laughed, rubbing his friend's head. Hei-Bai grinned.**

**"I think we're past the point where we accepted that." Hei-Bai said. The spirits laughed.**

* * *

_**So, what'd you think? And yes, HERE COME JIN! BWAHAHA! SO MANY DIABOLICAL PLANS!**_

_**Anyways...**_

_**Disclaimer : I don't own ATLA**_


	19. Chapter 19

Zuko and I walked down the street. Iroh caught up to us from behind, holding a large vase with several orange flowers placed in it. Zuko stared coldly at the flora and Iroh.

"I just want our place to look nice, in case someone brings home a lady friend!" He gave Zuko a nudge with his elbow. I suddenly felt sick in my stomach. Was I... jealous?

Zuko and I walked down the street. Iroh caught up to us from behind, holding a large vase with several orange flowers placed in it. Zuko stared coldly at the flora and Iroh. I shook my head to clear my thoughts.

"This city is a prison. I don't want to make a life here." Zuko said bleakly. I quirked an eyebrow but remained quiet.

"Life happens wherever you are, whether you make it or not. Now come on, I found us some new jobs, and we start this afternoon!" Iroh chirped. I sighed as we walked away.

* * *

"Ridiculous." Zuko said as he slipped on his apron. I shrugged, tying his apron for him. I turned as he returned the favor.

"There are worse jobs then serving tea."

"Uh, does this possibly come in a larger size?" Iroh asked. The owner, Pao, rubbed his chin in thought.

"I have extra string in the back. Have some tea while you wait!" He chirped. He poured us three cups of tea and walked away. Iroh smiled and took a sip before his face contorted in disgust.

"Blech! This tea is nothing more than hot leaf juice!" Iroh exclaimed. I quirked an eyebrow as Zuko gave him a deadpan look.

"Uncle, that's what all tea is." he said. Iroh looked affronted.

"How could a member of my own family say something so horrible?! We'll have to make some major changes around here." Iroh said. Zuko and I exchanged looks as Iroh dumped the pot out the window.

* * *

"Would you like a pot of tea?" Iroh asked.

"We've been working in a tea shop all day! I'm sick of tea!" Zuko said. I rolled my eyes.

"Sick of tea? That's like being sick of breathing!"

"I'd like some." I said.

"See, she has taste." Iroh said. Zuko pouted and I smirked at him. Iroh rummaged through the cupboard beneath the counter, where he was standing. "Have you seen the spark rocks to heat up the water?"

"I'm afraid not." I said. I watched Iroh go outside and leaned back in my chair, closing my eyes. I heard Iroh enter again and opened my eyes to see him at the counter.

"I borrowed our neighbors'. Such kind people." Iroh said. I smiled and glanced over to the window as I heard rustling. I got up and walked over to the window, sticking my head out. I recognized the scent on the opposite roof. The color of blood splattered leafs the color of crimson. Oddly specific, but that was Jet for you.

"Ave, you okay?" Zuko asked. I nodded, closing the window.

"I'm fine." I said, walking away from the window.

"Are you sure?" Zuko asked. I sighed.

"I swore I smelt Jet." I said. Zuko looked surprised.

"Jet? Outside?" He said. I nodded, sitting next to him on the couch. "Why would he be outside?"

"He must've seen Iroh heat his tea. Jet is very... bold in his notions." I said.

"What does that mean?" Zuko asked.

"He's going to stalk us until he finds enough evidence to call us firebenders and have us arrested." I said. Zuko facepalmed.

"Good going uncle."

* * *

**"I don't trust that Jet kid." Chi said. Hei-Bai grunted in agreement. I rolled my eyes.**

**"You don't like anyone who threatens Avery." I said. "Remember, second chances?"**

**"You're right, Lin." Chi sighed. I grinned.**

**"Of course I'm right. I'm your wife."**

* * *

**_Does that answer your question? The mystery _**

**_Okay, this one's really short, I know. That's because the next chapter is going to be really long. Two episodes in one chapter. Yeah, that long._**

**_Disclaimer : I don't own ATLA_**


	20. Chapter 20

"Uncle, we have a problem. One of the customers is on to us. Don't look now but there is a girl over there at the corner table. She knows we're Fire Nation." Iroh looked at the girl, but was quickly pulled back by Zuko. "Didn't I say don't look?!"

"You're right, Zuko. I've seen that girl in here quite a lot. Seems to me she has quite a little crush on you." Iroh said.

"What!" Zuko and I gasped in unison. Said girl appeared behind us. She handed Zuko some coins, which he put on a table.

"Thank you for the tea. What's your name?" She asked.

"My name's Lee. My uncle, my best friend and I just moved here." Zuko said.

"Hi Lee, my name's Jin. Thank you and... well, I was wondering if you would like to go out sometime."

"He'd love to!" Iroh said before Zuko could respond.

"Great. I'll meet you in front of the shop at sundown." Jin said, beaming. Jin walked away, as Iroh threw his arms on a bewildered Zuko's shoulders, with a large smile as Zuko glared at him. I sucked in a breath and untied my apron.

"I'm taking this shift off." I said, walking away.

"What did I say?" Iroh innocently asked my retreating form.

* * *

I sat on the roof, hugging my knees. Good going Iroh, take away the only guy I've actually ever connected with. I rubbed at my eyes, trying not to cry. Jin was a nice girl, I could tell by her kelly green scent, but I didn't want Zuko getting caught up with her. Not only would it be dangerous, I'd lose my best friend and my crush to a stranger. I decided to head inside. It was sundown after all. I stood and saw Zuko leaving. His hair was ridiculous. Jin walked over from a shortcut through an alley and they spoke for a second, Jin ruining his slicked hair, and they headed out, Jin's arm wrapped through Zuko's. I bit my lip and headed inside. Iroh had closed the shop down for awhile on Pao's ordera and I sat at one of the tables, holding my head in my hands.

"Are you alright, Avery?" Iroh asked, sitting across from me. I looked up, my arms falling onto the table.

"No, no I'm not." I snapped. His eyes widened a bit at my tone.

"What's wrong?"

"Jin, that's what." I said, rubbing my forehead in a sign of stress. Iroh's eyes widened even further and his mouth formed an 'o'.

"You have a crush on Zuko?" Iroh said.

"You _really_ haven't figured that out yet?" I said. Iroh sighed.

"I'm didn't. Okay, well, it's a simple crush, you can move on. Find a 'friend' of your ow-"

"Iroh, you don't understand. It's not a silly school-girl crush, like the one Jin has on Zuko. I _love_ him. I mean, come on. A _panda_ figured that out. That's why Hei-Bai convinced Chi to let me go." I said, hugging my knees. Iroh sighed.

"I didn't know." Iroh said.

"Yeah, you didn't, and now I'm about to lose my best friend to a complete stranger!" I said, closing my eyes and gritting my teeth to hold back tears. Iroh placed a hand on my shoulder. There was a sudden knock on the door and I sucked in a breath.

"We're closed!" I called.

"June, it's me, Jet." they said. I exchanged glances with Iroh before standing and heading to open the door.

"What do you want?" I asked, leaning against the door frame.

"I w- Wait, were you crying?"

"Nah, the tea leaves are getting to my sinuses. Go on." I lied.

"Well, I was wondering if you'd like to come out with me?" Jet asked. I blinked rapidly in surprise before smiling a bit.

"Sure, I've got some time." I said, standing up a bit.

"Let's go." Jet said with a smile. I looked back to Iroh.

"I'm going out for a bit." I said.

"Stay safe, June." Iroh said. I smirked.

"Of course, Mushi." I said. I closed the door behind me and nodded to Jet.

"What did you have in mind?"

* * *

"Firelight Fountain? Sounds like something out of a faerie tale." I said. Jet laughed and I grinned. We had gotten some sort of sweet from a vendor, and it was really good. And now we were headed to Firelight Fountain.

"Yeah, well, I hear it's pretty cool. Real nice looking and all." Jet said. I nodded.

"Well, with a faerie name like that I'd hope so." I said. And then I saw it.

"Damn, it's out." Jet said. Suddenly, small bursts of fire flew through the air and lit the lamps. My eyes widened and Jet grinned.

"I knew it!" He said. He turned as if to go tell the authorities, but I grabbed his shirt, eyes sparking.

"Going somewhere, Jet?" I growled. He smirked.

"You're right, might as well have some fun while we're here." He said. My eyes widened as he grabbed the hand on his shirt and bent it back, causing me to wince. He pushed me towards an alley and my eyes widened. So, it's that kind of fun that he wanted. He gripped my wrists and forced me against a wall. I turned my head away and shuddered in disgust.

"Not so tough as a girl, are you?" Jet mocked. I frowned and turned. I then smashed my forehead against his. He grunted and his grip loosened, allowing me to rip my hands away. I lashed out, my nails catching his cheek. He frowned and grabbed my wrists again, slamming me against the wall to shut me up. I cracked my neck and snarled.

"I'm not giving anything away to you, you sick-" He cut me off with a sharp slap to the cheek. I spat at his feet. "That the best you've got?"

"That's it." Jet grabbed both of my wrists in one hand and held them over my head. His other hand brought out a dagger. My eyes trained on the glinting metal. "So, now you shut up."

"So, you're a necrophiliac, huh?" I said. Jet smirked.

"Nah, I just like them bleeding." Jet said. I frowned. Jet held the dagger against my stomach and smirked. "Any last words, June?"

"Just two." I said, a plan forming in my mind. I sucked in a breath and screamed two words. "_Pouty! Help!_"

* * *

**"See, that's why I don't want her in the mortal world!" Chi exclaimed. Lin whacked him upside the head.**

**"Pull it together. She'll be fine. See, Zuko's going to help." Lin said, directing their attention to another image. **Jin was about to kiss Zuko when Avery had screamed, and Zuko turned to look for the voice. He stepped away and Jin frowned.

"What's wrong?" Jin asked.

"It's complicated. I have to go." Zuko said. "June's in trouble."

**"See, I knew I liked this kid." Lin said, smiling.**

* * *

Jet snarled in anger as I called out. He stabbed the knife into my hip and I hissed in pain. There was a sudden crash and Jet fell over, temporarily . I looked to see Zuko wielding a garbage can lid.

"Can you walk?" He asked. I nodded and took a step, wincing in the process. Zuko frowned. "Or not."

"I'm fine." I said. Zuko shook his head and picked me up bridal style.

"Do you have any idea how to get back to the shop?" Zuko asked. I nodded and gave him directions as he ran us back to the Pao's shop. Zuko bumped the door open and Iroh looked up in surprise. They had reopened the shop from the break and the customers looked up in surprise.

"Lee, what happene-"

"Quickly, June needs help." Zuko said.

"I'm fine."

"You can barely stand." Zuko said. A nearby man got up and picked his things off the table, gesturing for Zuko to put me on the table. He did and I hissed as the dagger shifted in my hip.

"Sorry." Zuko said. Iroh ran over and began assessing the injury. The door slammed open and in came Jet. My eyes widened and I gripped Zuko's hand.

"I'm tired of waiting!" He pointed an accusing finger at Iroh and Zuko. "These two men are firebenders! I know they're firebenders, I saw the old man heating his tea! And he lit the Firelight Fountain!"

"He works in a tea shop."

"He's a firebender! I'm telling you!"

"Drop your swords, boy. Nice and easy." A man said, standing, along with another man.

"You'll have to defend yourself. Then everyone will know. Go ahead, show them what you can do."

Jet slowly walked towards us with his swords. Just as one of the customers was about to draw his swords, Zuko stepped in front and grabbed them instead.

"You want a show? I'll give you a show!" Zuko said.

"Be careful." Iroh and another man carried me to the back where they cut my shirt off around the dagger before pulling it out. I screamed out, gripping the strangers hand. Iroh began cleaning the wound. I was in tears, the whole process extremely painful. I heard the crashing and clanging of Zuko and Jet fighting. Iroh applied gauze to the wound and began wrapping my waist in bandages.

"Thanks." I breathed once he had it wrapped. Iroh smirked.

"You really have a habit of risking your life to keep us safe, don't you."

"I can't help it." I said. I went to get up but Iroh pushed my shoulder to the table.

"You need to rest." Iroh said. I frowned.

"I'll rest when I'm six feet under." I said. I got up, ignoring the pain in my hip, and headed for the door that had been re-slammed open. They were fighting alright.

"Please, son, you're confused! You don't know what you're doing!" Iroh called. I huffed and followed the boys as they headed for the fountain.

* * *

"Drop your weapons." A Dai Li agent ordered. His comrade matched his steely gaze as they stared down Zuko and Jet. Zuko and Jet stepped away and faced each other. Zuko lowered his sword, as Jet pointed at Zuko and Iroh.

"Arrest them, they're firebenders!"Jet said. He then pointed at me. "And she attacked me!"

"This poor boy is confused, we're just simple refugees." Iroh said. I stepped forward and took Zuko's hand in mine.

"This young man wrecked my tea shop, and assaulted my employees!" Pao said.

"It's true sir, we saw the whole thing. This crazy kid attacked the finest tea maker in the city." The man from earlier said.

"Oh, ho, ho. That's very sweet." Iroh said.

"And, he stabbed this innocent girl." His friend added. The two Dai Li approached Jet.

"Come with us, son." The Dai Li said. Jet swung his hook sword at the agent, who caught the sword with his rock gloves. The guard then disarmed Jet, and both guards pulled his arms behind his back, binding his wrists together using their rock gloves' stones. The guards dragged Jet away towards a wagon designed for holding captured criminals.

"You don't understand! They're Fire Nation! You have to believe me!" Jet exclaimed. The crowd began to disperse. Jet in the wagon, on his knees, looked up as the doors are shut. The people left in the street watched the wagon roll away. I let out a shaky sigh.

"This is yours sir." Zuko said, handing the sword the the customer. "The other is in front of the shop."

"Thanks." The man said. Zuko turned to me and smiled a bit.

"C'mon, let's get you home." Zuko said.

* * *

"So, how was your date?" I asked, sitting on the couch with Zuko. Iroh had went to sleep a bit earlier, leaving us with an awkward silence to fill.

"It was... nice, I guess..." Zuko said. I quirked an eyebrow.

"What happened?" I asked.

"Well, she almost kissed me." My eyebrows shot up into my hairline. "But you got stabbed so..."

"Oh, sorry?" I said. "I mean, if you wanted to kiss her and all, ya know, sorry for rui-"

"Avery!" Zuko laughed. "You saved me from having to break it to her that I didn't like her that way."

"Oh... really?" I asked. Zuko smirked.

"I only just met her. Yeah, she's nice and cute, but no, I don't like her that way. I see her as more of a needy friend." Zuko said. I smiled.

"That's good..." I said. Zuko gave me an amused look and I blushed. "I mean, that you can still be friends!"

"Just a question, why were you and Jet in the same place to begin with?" Zuko asked. I sighed.

"Well, after you left with Jin, Iroh and I shared a pot of tea and talked. Then Jet came over and asked if I wanted to go into town with him, which I said sure because I had free time. Then he saw you light Firelight Fountain and went to go get the police, but I stopped him. And he attacked me."

"Wait, you went out with Jet?"

"You went out with Jin!" I said defensively.

"Jet's crazy! Jin is... Jin!" Zuko said.

"Geez, sorry to offend your girlfriend." I muttered.

"I heard that." Zuko said. I frowned and looked away. "Why are you so defensive all of a sudden?"

"Holy Spirit World! You seriously haven't figured it out yet?!" Zuko gave me a look. "I mean, for the love of tea, a _panda_ was able to figure it out!"

"A panda? Figured out what?"

"Hei-Bai, it's why they let me go." I said. He gave me another confused look. "Do you really want to know?"

"Yes, I really do!"

"Fine then!" I said. I grabbed the collar of his shirt and yanked his head forward, my lips meeting his. I let him go and pushed his head away, crossing my arms, face on fire. "That's why."

"... I... er... uh... um..." Zuko stuttered, fingers at his lips. I covered my face with my hands.

"I'm sorry. Now everything's awkward!" I said.

"No no no! No, it's uh... it's... um..."

"See? You can't even finish a freakin' sentence!" I said.

"That's not why." Zuko said.

"Then why?"

"Do you really want to know?"

"Yes!"

"Fine then." Zuko said, smirking. He cupped my cheek and leaned forward, bringing together our lips. My eyes widened before I smiled and kissed back.

"Go to sleep!" Iroh called from his room. Zuko and I pulled back laughing.

* * *

**"Yes! Yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes!" Lin, Chi, and Hei-Bai cheered together.  
**

**"Finally!" Chi said.**

**"Our girl's finally grown up!" Lin laughed.**

**"I told you it'd happen soon!" Hei-Bai said. The three spirits continued cheering about the two teenagers.  
**

* * *

_**Haha, the three spirits are like FanGirls! So, due to the begging of my friend, Aveko is now canon.**_

_**What'd you think?**_

_**Disclaimer : I don't own ATLA, only Avery and Aveko**_


	21. Chapter 21

I was passing out tea to an older couple when a man entered. He held an air of authority.

"So, you're the genius behind this incredible brew. The whole city is buzzing about you! I hope Pao pays you well." The man said. I tucked the tray under my arm and walked over.

"Good tea is its own reward." Iroh said.

"But it doesn't have to be the _only_ reward. How would you like to have your own tea shop?" The man offered.

"My own tea shop? This is a dream come true!" Iroh said.

"What's going on here? Are you trying to poach my tea-maker?" Pao said.

"Sorry Pao, but that's business for you, am I right?" the man said.

"Mushi, if you stay, I'll make you assistant manager. Wait, senior assistant manager!"

"I'll provide you with a new apartment in the Upper Ring. The tea shop is yours to do whatever you want, complete creative freedom." the man said.

"I even get to name the shop?" Iroh asked.

"Of course!" the man said.

"Uh, senior executive assistant manager?" Pao said. Iroh handed him the pot of tea and bowed to the customer, agreeing to the terms. Zuko walked by as Pao walked away sadly.

"Did you hear, nephew? This man wants to give us our own tea shop in the Upper Ring of the city!" Iroh said.

"That's right young man, your life is about to change for the better!"

"I'll try to contain my joy." Zuko said sarcastically.

"June, did y-"

"I'm so excited!" I said, beaming. I looked up as Zuko slammed the door after him. I hummed in thought.

* * *

I helped Iroh pack, since I was already done, and Zuko came in. I looked up and smiled.

"So, I was thinking about names for my new tea shop. How about the Jasmine Dragon? It's dramatic, poetic, has a nice ring to it." Iroh said.

"I like it." I said.

"The Avatar is here in Ba Sing Se and he's lost his bison." Zuko said, holding up a flyer. I took the flyer and frowned as I looked it over. How the hell do you lose a ten ton bison? Zuko leaned against the window.

"We have a chance for a new life here. If you start stirring up trouble, we could lose all the good things that are happening for us." Iroh said.

"Good things that are happening for you! Have you ever thought that I want more from life than a nice apartment and a job serving tea?" Zuko snapped. I frowned. Oh, so finding out your crush likes you bad is so horrible?

"There is nothing wrong with a life of peace and prosperity. I suggest you think about what it is that you want from your life and why." Iroh advised.

"I want my destiny." Zuko said.

"What that means is up to you." Zuko walked away. "The Tea Weevil! No, that's stupid."

"I'm going after him." I said, standing. Iroh nodded, muttering something about tea types.

"Zuko!" I called.

"What?"

"What was that?" I asked, slapping down the flyer on the table.

"What do you mean?"

"'Good things that are happening for you'? 'Have you ever thought that I want more from life than a nice apartment and a job serving tea'?" I quoted. I then gave him a look.

"What?"

"I was the one who was freaking stabbed by a lunatic!" I said.

"I'm fully aware of that, Avery!"

"Why are you so upset?" I asked. "Your life is changing for the better! You and you uncle are getting a tea shop in the upper ring. You got a date after only a few weeks of being here. This is the city of chance, Zuko. This are going to change, but for the better."

"But am I going to get the avatar?" Zuko asked angrily.

"Screw the avatar!" I exclaimed. He looked surprised. "Zuko, you don't _need_ him. Three years gone, and have you learned nothing? Life goes on without that damned monk! It has for 100 years!"

"Ave-"

"Don't 'Ave' my right now! I'm pissed that you can't see the good in life! Now is not a good time to-mphf!" I was cut off as Zuko shut me up with a kiss. I blushed as he pulled back. He smirked.

"Ave, I was going to say you're right." He said.

"Oh... uh, right." I said, rubbing my neck in embarrassment.

* * *

"Avery, have you seen Zuko?" Iroh asked. I hummed in thought.

"Nope. Should we go find him?"

"That would be for the best." Iroh said. I stood and sniffed the air.

"I got a lock on his scent." I said. "Let's go find him."

* * *

I pushed open the door of the underground base and placed a hand on my cocked out hip as the Blue Spirit whirled around.

"So, the Blue Spirit. I wonder who could be behind that mask..." I said.

"What are you two doing here?" Zuko asked, taking off his mask.

"I was just about to ask you the same thing. What do you plan to do now that you've found the Avatar's bison? Keep him locked in our new apartment? Should I go put on a pot of tea for him?" Iroh said sarcastically with an undertone of anger.

"First I have to get it out of here." Zuko said.

"And then what!? You never think these things through! This is exactly what happened when you captured the Avatar at the North Pole! You had him, and then you had nowhere to go!"

"I would have figured something out!" Zuko said.

"No! If his friends hadn't found you, you would have frozen to death!" Iroh yelled.

"I know my own destiny, Uncle!"

"Is it your own destiny, or is it a destiny someone else has tried to force on you?" I asked in a steely tone.

"Stop it! I have to do this!"

"I'm begging you, Prince Zuko! It's time for you to look inward and begin asking yourself the big questions. Who are you, and what do you want?" Iroh said. Zuko screamed loudly, throwing down his swords and Blue Spirit mask. I closed my eyes and sighed. We waited in an almost silence as Zuko made his decision.

* * *

"You did the right thing, nephew." Zuko looked at his Blue Spirit mask. "Leave it behind."

Zuko tossed the mask into the water and it sank to the bottom of the lake. We headed back to our house. I took Zuko's hand and nodded at him, reminding him of my promise. His lip quirked, but he seemed sick. His amber scent was swirling dangerously.

"You did the right thing. Letting the Avatar's bison go free." Iroh said as we stepped inside.

"I don't feel right." Zuko swayed dizzily and passed out.

"Zuko!" Iroh and I gasped in unison. I caught him before he fell.

* * *

"What happened?" I wondered aloud, sweeping Zuko's hair from his face. It was a lot longer now.

"His inner turmoil is making him ill." Iroh said. Suddenly, Zuko woke up.

"You're burning up. You have an intense fever." Iroh said. He dipped a cloth in water. He placed the cloth on Zuko's forehead. "This will help cool you down."

"So thirsty." He sat up, but Iroh made him lie back down. He grabbed a bucket with a spoon in it and took out the spoon.

"Here's some clean water to drink." Iroh sat him up slightly. "Stay under the blankets and sweat this out."

Zuko grabbed the spoon from Iroh and drank the water. He tossed the spoon aside and grabbed the bucket. He drank from it, while spilling some out. He then tossed the bucket aside and lied back down. Iroh pulled the covers more over him. I whistled out a breath and chuckled quietly.

"Geez." I said.

"Avery, this is not a laughing matter. Zuko could die from this." Iroh said. My eyebrows rose.

"That isn't what I was laughing about, but noted." I sighed. "Laughing is another way to deal with stress and discomfort."

"I understand." Iroh said. I sucked in a breath.

"All we can do is wait." I said. Zuko began sweating in his sleep.

* * *

Zuko woke up again at one point. Iroh poured us tea.

"You should know that this is not a natural sickness, but that shouldn't stop you from enjoying tea." He fed Zuko the tea.

"What's happening?"

"Your critical decision. What you did beneath that lake. It was in such conflict with your image of yourself that you are now at war within your own mind and body." He fed Zuko more tea.

"What's that mean?" Zuko asked. He coughed continuously and laid down.

"You are going through a metamorphosis, my nephew. It will not be a pleasant experience, but when you come out of it," He took a cloth and wiped Zuko's head. "you will be the beautiful prince you were always meant to be."

* * *

_**So, how will things be between Zuko and Avery after Zuko's 'metamorphosis'? You'll just have to find out.**_

_**Disclaimer... Oh you get the point!**_


	22. Chapter 215

"Iroh! Iroh Iroh Iroh Iroh-"

"Avery, what is it?!" The man said, cutting me off.

"I think I can get into Zuko's dream, and help him wake up." I said. Iroh's eyes widened.

"Really?"

"I'm half spirit, shouldn't be too hard." I said. I walked over to the prone teen and kneeled by his side. I placed a hand on his forehead, the other on his heart, and focused. There was a flash of green light and I went in.

* * *

_"It's getting late. Are you planning to retire soon, my lord?" A blue dragon said, curling around Zuko._

_"I'm not tired." Zuko replied._

_"Relax, Fire Lord Zuko. Just let go. Give in to it. Shut your eyes for a while." Azula's voice said. __Zuko started to shut his eyes but widely opened them upon hearing the other dragon._

___"No, Fire Lord Zuko! Do not listen to the blue dragon. You should get out of here right now. Go! Before it's too late!" Iroh said from the red dragon._

___"Sleep now, Fire Lord Zuko." Azula said. A golden brown dragon stepped into the light and snarled at the blue dragon._

___"Get away from him." She said in Avery's voice._

___"Who are you to challenge me?"_

___"His protector. Step away." Avery said, curling protectively around Zuko. Azula roared and went to attack._

___"You can both sleep, just like our mother." She said. But when she went to overcome them, Avery stood up more a shot a beam of green light at the blue dragon. It hissed and vanished. The red dragon was gone too. Avery shifted back to a human girl and turned to Zuko._

___"Are you alright?" She asked. Zuko frowned._

___"Avery? What are you doing here?"_

___"Protecting you." Avery said. The room began to shake and shift, changing to an outdoor area. A looming figure trudged forward, approaching a younger, unscarred Zuko. Avery wasn't able to move to protect him. The figure, Ozai, raised his fist and then shot his son with a gout of flame, marring his left eye. ____Zuko's screams filled the air._ Avery snapped out of her frozen state and charged forward, tackling Ozai. Ozai could do nothing, seeing as Avery had paralyzed him.

___"You're a monster. You don't deserve a son like Zuko." Avery said. She got up and ran to Zuko, who was curled up in pain._

___"Let me see." Avery said. Zuko moved his hands from his face and Avery cringed. "Alright, everything's going to be alright."_

___"Zuko!" A woman's voice called. Zuko stood, his everyday self, and looked around._

___"Mom!" Zuko cried out. Avery grabbed his arm._

___"Be careful." She said. They walked, looking for the elusive Fire Lady._

___"____Zuko! Help me!" She called. Avery pulled Zuko back, eyes wide._

_______"Zuko, you have to wake up." She said, fear evident in her voice._

_______"Why? I can find my mo-"_

"That's not your mom_." Avery said. "Zuko, you need to wake up. We'll die."_

_"No!"_

_"Zuko!" Ursa called. Avery tugged on his arm again._

_"Zuko, you can't die on me." Avery said._

_"Oh why do you care?" Zuko snapped. Avery closed her eyes with a pained expression._

_"Because I love you."_

* * *

"Ow!" I yelled as I was thrown out of the dream. I rubbed my head and sucked in a breath. I looked down at Zuko. His fever seemed to be gone and a small smile was fixed on his face. I smiled.

* * *

**_Short, I know. _**

**_Disclaimer... you get the point_**


	23. Chapter 22

I sat on the counter as Iroh cooked jook. I looked up as I smelt Zuko's coming into the kitchen.

"Mornin' Sunshine, the world says hello." I said. Zuko smiled.

"What's that smell?" he asked.

"It's jook." I said.

"I'm sure you wouldn't like it." Iroh added. Zuko sniffed.

"Actually, it smells delicious. I'd love a bowl, Uncle." He held a bowl up.

"Now that your fever is gone, you seem different somehow."

"It's a new day. We've got a new apartment, new furniture, and today's the grand opening of your new tea shop." He moved to a table and sat. "Things are looking up, Uncle."

Iroh and I exchanged shocked expressions before they changed to smiles.

* * *

I busied myself handing out tea. The people were very polite, but I heard their snarky whispers behind their hands. I brushed it off and continued with my work. Those jerks wouldn't ruin my mood. I headed to the back again and set down my tray, overhearing Zuko and Iroh's conversation.

"Who thought when we came to this city as refugees, that I'd end up owning my own tea shop? Follow your passion, Zuko, and life will reward you." Iroh said. Wait, did Iroh just glance at me? I blushed with a smirk, shaking my head.

"Congratulations, Uncle."

"I am very thankful."

"You deserve it. The Jasmine Dragon will be the best tea shop in the city."

"No. I'm thankful because you decided to share this special day with me. It means more than you know." The two embraced in a hug. I walked over with a smile.

"What, no hugs for me?" I joked. They laughed and pulled me into the hug.

"Now let's make these people some tea!" Zuko walked away to the back.

"Yes, let's make some tea!" Iroh said.

* * *

My head shot up as I recognized a familiar scent. Purple... Who was purple? Then I remembered. Katara. I tugged off my apron and placed it on the counter, seeing said teen. I waved to her, waving her in.

"Li, Mushi, I'll be back." I said. I ran after Katara.

* * *

"Thank goodness you're here, Suki. Something terrible is going on. The Fire Nation has infiltrated the city, I just saw Prince Zuko and his uncle! We have to tell the Earth King right away!" Katara told the 'Kyoshi Warriors'. I knew better though. It was Azula and two girls, one a bright burgundy, the other neon pink.

"Oh, don't worry, I'll be sure to let him know." Azula said. Katara noticed 'Suki' wasn't Suki and was shocked upon realization that the 'Kyoshi Warriors' weren't who they said they were. She prepared to attack, but the pink girl quickly jumped forward and blocked her chi. My eyes widened. The three girls gathered around the fallen Katara.

"So, Zuzu's in the city, too? I think it's time for a family reunion." Azula said. I pushed open the door and stepped in. I smiled sweetly.

"Ah, Azula, funny meeting you here." I said. Azula looked surprised.

"You? I thought you were dead." She said. I shrugged.

"That's what Zhao said too, then Tui dragged him to the depths of the ocean." I said. She sicked the pink girl on me, but I caught her hands. I held them away in one hand and cut her palm with another. I spat on the cuts and she fell.

"Sorry, you seem nice." I said, stepping over her. Next was boring burgundy. She threw hidden knives at me and I side stepped, ducking out of the way. I frowned and caught the next knife. I threw it back, making her leap out of the way. She seemed somewhat impressed that my aim was as good as hers.

"I grew up in a bar, you'll have to do better." I said. I ducked the next attack and used one of the knives I caught to knick her cheek. I spat on her too, causing her to drop.

"Who are you really?" Azula asked. I smirked.

"Ever heard of the spirit Chi?"

"Of course, I'm not an idiot."

"Ever heard of Lin?"

"Who?"

"His wife."

"Go on."

"Ever heard of Avery?"

"Who the hell is _A__very_?"

"Their daughter." I smirked. "Aka, me."

"You? A half spirit?" Azula scoffed. "I'd like you to prove that. But, there isn't time for that."

"What?" I said. I gasped as rock gloves formed over my hands, binding them together. They then formed over my ankles, then over my mouth. I glared at Azula with red eyes as Dai Li agents picked me up and began carrying us away.

* * *

Meanwhile, back at the Jasmine Dragon, a royal messenger entered.

"A message from the Royal Palace." they said, handing a message to Iroh, then leaving. Iroh read through and became shocked then smiled.

"I... I can't believe it!"

"What is it, Uncle?" Zuko asked.

"Great news! We've been invited to serve tea to the Earth King!" Iroh said excitedly. He ran off. Zuko smiled as he continues sweeping. His smile then faltered and he frowned in worry. Where was Avery?

* * *

_**It appears Avery was captured along with Katara. Oops... *insert evil laugh***_

_**Your welcome, bendergurl123**_

_**Disclaimer:You get it**_


	24. Chapter 23

Meanwhile, Zuko and Iroh begin walking toward the palace.

"Many times I imagined myself here, at the threshold of the palace. But I always thought I would be here as a conqueror. Instead, we are the Earth King's personal guests, here to serve him tea. Destiny is a funny thing."

"It sure is, Uncle." Zuko said. His thoughts wandered to Avery. Where was she?

* * *

I grunted in pain as the Dai Li threw Katara and I into a Crystal Catacombs. They closed the exit, at the same time letting me free. I huffed and sat up.

"Damn cheater!" I yelled. I rubbed at my hip wound that had been jostled in my fall.

"You're Avery, right?" Katara asked. I nodded.

"And you're Katara, the avatar's girlfriend." I said. She blushed.

"I'm not his girlfriend."

"Yet." I said with a smirk. "He likes you."

"R-really?... wait, why should I trust you? You're with Zuko."

"True, very true. But I'm not a liar." I said, standing. "I mean, not all people from the Fire Nation are evil. I'm not even Fire Nation. I'm from the Earth Kingdom."

"You are?" She asked. I nodded. "Then why are you..."

"With Zuko and Iroh? Because, they're my friends. The Fire Nation isn't made of all monsters. And the other nations aren't innocent either."

"What do you mean?"

"Well, Tui and La killed Zhao, even though he deserved it. I was abused by an Earth Kingdom woman. I was saved by a Fire Nation man. I was attacked by an Earth Kingdom citizen... See my point?" I said.

"Who attacked you?"

"A guy named Jet..." I said. Katara's eyes widened, then filled with sadness.

"Jet died a week or two ago." Katara said. I sighed. "Who saved you?"

"Zuko, Iroh, and the old crew." I said. "I wonder what Jee's up to..."

* * *

"What's taking so long?" Zuko wondered.

"Maybe the Earth King overslept." Iroh said with a shrug as he poured a cup. Dai Li agents began to circle around the two.

"Something's not right." Zuko said. Azula walked past the Dai Li and came in front of her brother outside the circle of Dai Li agents.

"It's tea time!" Azula said. He quickly stood up.

"Azula!" Zuko said.

"Have you met the Dai Li? They're earthbenders, but they have a killer instinct that's _so_ firebender. I just love it." Azula said.

"Did I ever tell you how I got the nickname 'the Dragon of the West'?" Iroh said casually.

"I'm not interested in a lengthy anecdote, Uncle." Azula said.

"It's more of a demonstration, really." Iroh said. Iroh began drinking his tea. Zuko looked over at him and smirked before going behind him. Iroh began breathing fire.

* * *

"So..." I said.

"Are you and Zuko actually with each other?" Katara asked. I pursed my lips in thought.

"Ya know, I'm not sure." I said. I sighed at Katara's look. "Zuko is a complicated guy."

"More like insane." Katara scoffed. I frowned.

"He's been exposed to a lot of cruelty, Katara." I said. Katara began pacing back and forth. She stopped pacing upon hearing a hole open up above. The gloves were on me yet again and I huffed in frustration.

"You've got company." The Dai Li called. Katara and I exchanged looks as another person was thrown in. I gasped.

"Zuko!" I said. Katara's shocked face became an angry one as Zuko sat up and the hole closed behind him, the cuffs dropping yet again. I stood and rushed over to Zuko, hugging him.

"I was so worried." Zuko said. I smiled.

"I'm fine. It was nice talking to a girl for once." I said. "I'm going to look for an exit."

"Oh..." Zuko said, glancing at the fuming Katara. "Okay..."

I turned and headed farther into the Catacombs, looking around. I heard Katara begin yelling at Zuko and made a u-turn back.

"Why did they throw you in here?" Zuko said nothing. "Oh, wait, let me guess. It's a trap. So that when Aang shows up to help me, you can finally have him in your little Fire Nation clutches!"

"You're a terrible person! You know that? Always following us! Hunting the Avatar! Trying to capture the world's last hope for peace! But what do you care? You're the Fire Lord's son. Spreading war and violence and hatred is in your blood!"

"You don't know what you're talking about!" Zuko yelled back. I stopped and glared at Katara as she snapped.

"I don't? How dare you! You have no idea what this war has put me through! Me personally!" She sat down and touched her necklace, beginning to cry. "The Fire Nation took my mother away from me."

Zuko turned around to face Katara.

"I'm sorry." He paused. "That's something we have in common."

Katara looked back surprised and wiped away the tears from her eyes.

"I'm sorry." She said. Zuko grunted and kept his eyes trained on the floor.

"I'm sorry I yelled at you before." Katara said.

"It doesn't matter." Zuko said, standing and brushing off the dirt.

"It's just that for so long now, whenever I would imagine the face of the enemy, it was your face." Katara admitted. I cringed. Wrong word choice.

"My face? I see." He touched his scar.

"No, no, that's-that's not what I mean." She approached Zuko. I frowned. What was she doing?

"It's okay. I used to think this scar marked me. The mark of the banished prince, cursed to chase the Avatar forever. But lately, I've realized I'm free to determine my own destiny, even if I'll never be free of my mark." Zuko said.

"Maybe you could be free of it." Katara said.

"What?" Zuko said.

"I have healing abilities."

"It's a scar, it can't be healed." Zuko said. Katara held up a vial.

"This is water from the Spirit Oasis at the North Pole. It has special properties, so I've been saving it for something important. She moved in front of Zuko. "I don't know if it would work, but..."

Katara put one hand on Zuko's scar. I frowned. I cleared my throat loudly and they turned, apparently not having noticed my presence.

"Avery... she can heal me..." Zuko said.

"You're perfect the way you are." I said firmly.

"But-"

"Zuko, the scar is what you make it to be. To you, it's shameful. To girls like Jin, it's mysterious. To your father, it's a lesson. To your sister, it's a joke. To girls like Katara, it's a blemish. But to me, it marks you as a survivor, a champion, someone who doesn't take bullshit from life. To me, it makes you, you." I said. Zuko and Katara looked at me in surprise.

"Avery..."

"Zuko, scars aren't imperfections. They are memories. I should know, I wear my childhood on my shoulder." I said, shifting my shirt. Katara gasped, but I ignored her. I walked forward and poked Zuko in the chest. "Scars tell your story without words. So who cares that you have a memory across your eye? You're still you, you're still Zuko. Removing that scar is removing part of yourself."

"Avery..." Zuko repeated. His lips quirked and he nodded. I placed a hand on his shoulder with a smile and nodded back in silent agreement. Suddenly, the wall exploded.

"Aang!" Katara exclaimed gleefully. Aang looked surprised as Katara hugged him, but then Aang looked over Katara's shoulder to glare at Zuko. Zuko, who got a hug from Iroh, glared back. I rolled my eyes and the exchange.

"Aang, I knew you would come."

"Uncle, I don't understand. What are you doing with the Avatar?" Zuko asked, pointing at Aang.

"Saving you, that's what." Aang snapped. Zuko took one step in Aang's direction, but Iroh stopped him.

"I swear, if someone starts another argument, I'm kicking all of your asses to the Spirit World, where you can then deal with my dad." I warned, pissed at the amount of drama.

"Zuko, it's time we talked." To Aang and Katara, Iroh said, "Go help you other friends. We'll catch up with you."

They walked away, Katara looking back at Zuko before moving on. I glared at her retreating form.

"Why, Uncle?" Zuko said.

"You're not the man you used to be, Zuko. You are stronger and wiser and freer than you have ever been. And now you have come to the crossroads of your destiny. It's time for you to choose. It's time for you to choose good."

Zuko yelled as crystals grew to encase Iroh. He assumed a fighting position to prepare for the intruders. Azula, along with two Dai Li agents, slid down from the sides of the chamber. I snarled.

"I expected this kind of treachery from Uncle. But Zuko, _Prince_ Zuko, you're a lot of things, but you're not a traitor, are you?" Azula said.

"Release him immediately." Zuko said.

"It's not too late for you, Zuko. You can still redeem yourself."

"The kind of redemption she offers is not for you." Iroh said.

"Why don't you let _him_ decide, Uncle? I need you, Zuko. I've plotted every move of this day, this _glorious_ day in Fire Nation history, and the only way we win is together. At the end of this day, you will have your honor back. You will have Father's love. You will have everything you want."

"Zuko, I am begging you. Look into your heart and see what it is that you truly want." Iroh said.

"You are free to choose." Azula said.

She gestured at the two Dai Li agents to leave, who earthbent themselves out. Zuko contemplated his choice as Azula left to follow Aang and Katara.

"Shut up, you stupid blue dragon!" I yelled after she left.

"'blue dragon'?" Zuko said. I sighed.

"You don't remember? I went into your dream to save you, and she was a blue dragon trying to kill you." I said.

"You went into my dream?" Zuko said, almost with anger.

"You would've died!" I reasoned loudly. He held his head in his hands and let out an exasperated groan. He looked up, into my eyes. "Then you meant-"

"Yes, Zuko. I said it, and I meant it." I said. He looked away again, then back to me.

"Then... you'd... you'd be okay with whatever choice I made?" He said. I didn't like the look on his face.

* * *

I watched Zuko stop Azula from attacking. _C'mon, Pouty, make it easier to see the good in you!_

Aang gasped once he realized Zuko was about to attack him and Aang used airbending to jump away from the blast. Azula started dueling with Katara, and Zuko threw multiple fire blasts at Aang.

Zuko and Aang fought on and I sighed. Damn it Zuko. Aang airbent the air currents around him to make a human-shaped gust of air at Zuko, knocking him down. Aang attacked Zuko with more airbending, but Zuko maneuvered around the attacks and got back up on his feet. He fired more blasts at Aang who was clinging on to a rock pillar. Aang jumped onto a clump of crystals to avoid the attack. Furious, Zuko summoned a greater blast of fire. Aang earthbent some crystals to protect him, but the crystals shattered, sending Aang flying to another clump of crystals. Zuko used fire whips to attack Aang once again, but Aang jumped to another patch of crystals and Zuko kept attacking.

Azula was running away from Katara, who sent a wave of water that cut her hair.

Back to Zuko, who was still using his fire whips to attack Aang, who was now jumping along the cave's ceiling. Aang kicked down a stalactite and followed it, using earthbending to increase its impact and sending Zuko flying. I grabbed his arm and pulled him up.

Katara encased herself in water and used it to stop Azula's firebending attacks. One water tentacle captured Azula's hand and another one captured her foot. Zuko freed his sister using firebending to break the tentacles. Azula looked toward the crater Aang had created with the stalactite. Aang crawled out, exhausted. Azula ran toward Aang. Zuko and Katara began to fight. Katara still had water whips on her hands and Zuko started using his fire whips.

"I thought you had changed!" Katara said.

"I have changed!" Zuko said. Zuko fired another blast.

Azula and Aang stood opposite of each other. Azula and Aang prepared to fight. Azula used firebending to charge at Aang. Aang earthbent crystals around him into a crystal encased armor and charged at Azula. Azula stopped, and used her firebending to break Aang's crystal armor and send him flying back into an old building.

Zuko and Azula both were fighting Katara. Hopelessly outnumbered, Katara was knocked down. Aang jumped from the old building and earth surfed toward Zuko and Azula to stop them from attacking Katara. A Dai Li agent broke Aang's surf, knocking him down. More Dai Li agents gathered behind Zuko and Azula. Katara started regaining her focus and Dai Li agents surrounded her. Katara used the octopus form to defend herself. Aang stood up and surveyed the scene. I closed my eyes as time seemed to slow down. I raised my arms and the ground rose with them, making pillars on my left and right. I then sucked in a breath and kicked them forward. They rocketed forward and Katara gasped, raising two waves to knock down my pillars. Zuko looked to me in surprise and I nodded to him. He smiled a bit. I then jumped forward, slamming down and causing a earthquake like ripple across the floor. The Dai Li sent me appraising looks, much to my surprise. Was I that good already? I looked to Aang, now that I had proved I was on the Fire Nation's side.

Closing his eyes, Aang turned away from Azula and Zuko and earthbent a crystal shelter tent. The crystal shelter started glowing, alerting us outside. Aang broke the crystal above him. Katara looked up to Aang, now rising in to the air, with hope. But before Aang could attack, a bolt of lightning struck him in the back. Azula... she was in her lightning summoning position with her fingers smoking. Aang fell down. Katara, tears now falling down her face, created a wave to catch Aang. The wave knocked down the Dai Li agents. She looked down at Aang and back up with tears in her eyes. Zuko and Azula prepared to attack Aang and Katara, but a blast of fire stopped them. Iroh jumped down from the wall of the cave and shielded Aang and Katara from Zuko and Azula. I smiled sadly and nodded to him, sending a silent message with my eyes. He nodded in return.

"You've got to get out of here! I'll hold them off as long as I can!" Iroh fired some blasts at Zuko and Azula. I rose a wall in front of them, deflecting the blasts. Katara walked away slowly with Aang's body to a waterfall, and she then used waterbending to lift her and Aang up its path. Iroh held off the Dai Li agents until after Aang and Katara leave. Then he submitted to the Dai Li, who used earthbending to encase him in crystals. Zuko looked at Iroh and Iroh closed his eyes and turned away.

* * *

We sat in the Earth King's throne room with Azula sitting down at the throne with Zuko at her left, I at his side.

"We've done it, Zuko. It's taken a hundred years, but the Fire Nation has conquered Ba Sing Se." Azula said.

"I betrayed Uncle." Zuko said.

"No, he betrayed you." She stood up from the throne._ "_Zuko, when you return home, Father will welcome you as a war hero."

"But I don't have the Avatar. What if Father doesn't restore my honor?" Zuko asked. I tried my hardest not to facepalm.

"He doesn't need to, Zuko." She put a hand on Zuko's shoulder. "Today, you restored your own honor."

Zuko turned away, uncertain of himself.

"And I, princess? I attacked you and your friends earlier, but aided you in this battle." I said politely. She smirked.

"If you stay out of trouble, you'll be fine. And you can drop the polite act, I know you aren't."

"It's a matter of respect. Earlier, I was ready to throw a rock at your head. But now... I dunno, I learned once not to mess with a lightning prodigy." I said. She nodded in a 'damn-straight' attitude.

"You're aren't bad... for a savage." She said. I laughed.

"Not bad yourself, Royal Pain." I said. She actually smiled.

"Well, there are some things to smooth out with the Dai Li. I'll see you in a bit." She said, heading for the door. I looked to Zuko and sighed.

"You're regretting your choice?" I asked.

"No, it isn't that... not entirely..." Zuko said. I quirked an eyebrow. "You could have made a new start. But... you stuck by me and now we're headed for the Fire Nation, far from your home."

"Hey, a promise is a promise." I said, nudging him with my shoulder. He smiled a bit.

"Yeah..."

* * *

**_So? What'd you think? I was really conflicted about what to do about Avery: should she go with Zuko, with Aang and crew, or defend Aang and go with Iroh, allowing herself to be captured. Thing is, are _you_ happy with the ending?_**

**_So, it seems Azula and Avery are getting along... kinda..._**

**_Disclaimer:You know._**


	25. Chapter 24

I sat atop a railing, looking out over the ocean. Zuko walked out on the main deck and I cocked my head to the side in curiousity. What was he doing up? And then Mai walked out after him, about ten minutes after. I frowned, sensing her red scent flutter like a heart at the sight of him. She like him. A lot. And here came the jealous gut feeling.

"Aren't you cold?" Mai asked.

"I've got a lot on my mind. It's been so long, over three years since I was home. I wonder what's changed. I wonder how I've changed." Zuko admitted.

"I just asked if you were cold, I didn't ask for your whole life story." Giggled and held his face in her hands. "Stop worrying."

The two kiss. Mai exited, and Zuko stayed there with an expression of relief on his face. A feeling built in my chest and forced its way out in tears. I ducked my head and silently cried.

* * *

"Avery? Are you okay? You didn't got to the welcoming ceremony."

"But Mai was there." I said. He gave me a look and closed the door after him.

"Yeah... and?"

"I dunno, you tell me." I said, crossing my arms and continuing to glare at the ceiling.

"Avery... what is this all about?"

"Go ask your _girlfriend_. She can clear it all up, maybe kiss it better." I snapped angrily. Zuko gave me a weird look.

"'Girlfriend'? You mean Mai?" Zuko asked. I lolled my head to the side and gave him a look. "She isn't m-"

"Then why'd you kiss her?" I asked, sitting up. His eyes widened. "Yes, I saw you. I couldn't sleep, due to guilt and nerves, because of _you_. And then you stabbed me in the back!"

"Ave, I-"

"Don't you _dare_ call me that right now." I scoffed in anger and leaned my head back. "I knew I should've gone with Aang and Katara. At least I wouldn't have to put up with this bullshit."

"Fine, if you're going to be an unsupportive jerk, I'll leave you alone then!"

"Fine!"

"Fine!" Zuko yelled, storming out and slamming the door after him. I got up and locked the door. I flopped back on my bed and gritted my teeth.

* * *

**"She hasn't left her room. At all." Lin said in surprise.**

**"How long has it been?"**

**"A week." Hei-Bai said.**

**"Is she trying to kill herself again?" Chi asked.**

**"'Again'?" Lin asked her husband. He rubbed his neck.**

**"Long story. We need to focus on the matter at hand."**

**"It's simple. We kill Mai." Lin said. Chi and Hei-Bai gave her looks of shock. "I'm kidding!... Kinda!"**

**"We need to fix this." Hei-Bai said. "We'll put death on the back burner."**

**"Fine..." Li agreed. The image in front of the spirits fuzzed and cleared. "The hell was that?"**

**"The image flashed forward..."**

**"How far forward?"**

**"... Um... two to three weeks... and she still hasn't left."**

* * *

I sprawled on my back and hummed quietly to myself, tired but not able to sleep, hungry and thirsty but not budging. I began singing:

"On the first page of our story,  
The future seemed so bright.  
Then the saint turned out so evil,  
I don't know why i'm still surprised.  
Even angels have their wicked schemes,  
And you take that to new extremes.  
But you'll always be my hero,  
Even though you've lost your mind.

"Just gonna stand there and watch me burn.  
Well that's alright because I like the way it hurts.  
Just gonna stand there and hear me cry.  
Well that's alright because I love the way you lie.  
I love the way you lie.  
I love the way you lie.

"Now there's gravel in our voices.  
Glasses shattered from the fight.  
In this tug of war you always win,  
Even when i'm right.  
Cause you feed me fables from your head,  
With violent words and empty threats,  
And it's sick that all these battles are what keeps me satisfied.

"Just gonna stand there and watch me burn.  
Well that's alright because I like the way it hurts.  
Just gonna stand there and hear me cry.  
Well that's alright because I love the way you lie.  
I love the way you lie.  
I love the way you lie.

"So maybe i'm a masochist.  
I try to run but I don't wanna ever leave.  
Til the walls are going up.  
In smoke with all our memories.

"Just gonna stand there and watch me burn.  
Well that's alright because I like the way it hurts.  
Just gonna stand there and hear me cry.  
Well that's alright because I love the way you lie.  
I love the way you lie.  
I love the way you lie.  
I love the way you lie."

I sighed and covered my face with my hands. Why's I have to get sucked into all of this? Why couldn't I turn my back on Zuko and make my own dicisions? 'Cause a promise is a promise' I sneered mentally at myself. Great, I was so frazzled that I was talking to myself. Stress, panic, guilt... Why'd I suddenly feel so weak...? And sick...? Why's the ground rushing up at me...?

* * *

-Zuko POV- _**(ba ba bum)**_

I walked down the hallway, heading for my room, but paused when I passed Avery's room. I haven't seen her in weeks.

"Avery?" I asked, knocking on the door. No answer. I repeated her name, louder. Still no answer. I grew panicked. I tried the door, but it was locked. Something was definitely wrong. I sucked in a breath and kicked the door open. I walked in and looked around. No Avery.

"Ave?" I called. I heard a groan and walked over to the opposite side of her bed. I gasped. Avery was sprawled across the ground, looking sick. I could see her ribs through her shirt, and her face seemed hollow. I rushed over and picked her up. She shouldn't be this light...

I rushed her to the infirmary.

* * *

"What's wrong with her? Will she be alright?" I asked. The doctor nodded.

"Avery will be fine. High stress and anxiety teamed up with a lack of food and water certainly did a number on her. She just needs food, water, and sleep. I'll keep her here for a week or so to make sure she recovers properly." She said. I nodded with a grateful sigh.

"Thank you." I said, standing.

"She's a good person, your highness." The doctor said. I gave her a curious look. "It'd be a shame to let that go to waste."

"What do you mean?"

"Be wise in your decisions." She said, turning and walking away. I looked from Avery, to the retreating form of the doctor, and back to Avery. I sighed and left.

* * *

_**The song Avery sang to herself out of boredom (and my obsession to the song) is called 'Love the Way you Lie' by Skylar Grey. It's amazing. And pretty accurate when it comes to Avery's situation.**_

_**So yeah, Avery nearly killed herself with stress and a lack of food. Smooth one, Ave.**_

_**Disclaimer...**_


	26. Chapter 25

-Zuko POV-

I sat at Avery's side as she sipped her tea quietly. Any time I tried to start a conversation, she'd strike me down with a single look. I eventually sighed.

"Avery, I'm sorry, okay? I didn't realize that an argument could effect you like this."

"You think I'm sick because of the argument?" She snapped, her voice strained with misuse.

"Well, yeah..." Avery laughed bitterly with a head shake.

"You really are dense, aren't you." She asked rhetorically. "I'm sick because of stress, and guilt, and worry. Not some stupid fling of an argument. I gave up my one chance to make my own decision, and followed you like a faithful lap dog. That's all I am at this point. A trained beast to do your bidding."

"Avery, that isn't true. You're my friend."

"Friends don't pull stupid hat tricks like that. They explain if they don't feel same, and they don't lead them on." She snapped. I sat back in my chair and shook my head.

"I didn't mean to." I said. Avery scoffed.

"Bullshit." She said. She put down her cup of tea and pushed the blankets off her lap, getting her feet out from under. She swung her legs over the side and got up. She was still incredibly thin, but she was definitely gaining her weight back. She went to storm past, but I grabbed her hand, pulling her back. I enveloped her in a hug and rested my chin on her head and she stood rigid.

"I said I am sorry, and I'll keep you here until you forgive me."

"I'll call the doctor in." She warned, her voice muffled by my chest. And that's when what the doctor said clicked. She was saying not to let Avery go, to not end up with Mai.

"I don't think she'll do much to help you." I said. Avery wriggled one of her arms from my grasp and slammed it against my rib.

"Lemme go!" She said.

"Nope." I said.

"Zuko, stop." She said. "Please."

"No."

"I will call my dad. I'm not kidding." Avery said. I loosened my grip to look her in the face. Her eyes were welling with tears, but her face itself gave way to no emotion. "I'm serious."

"Fine." I said, letting her go. A sharp noise rang out as Avery slapped me.

"You asshole!" She said. "What was that supposed to accomplish! Pissing me off more?!"

"Oh, there you are Zuko." Someone said from the doorway. Avery and I turned to see Mai standing there. "What's going on?"

"Zuko sucks at jokes." Avery huffed, crossing her arms. Mai smirked and walked forward.

"He's not that bad." Mai said, placing a hand to my face. I smiled slightly.

"Why were you looking for him?" Avery piped up, sitting back down.

"You're dad is sending us on vacation." Mai said, acting as if I had asked, not Avery.

"How come?"

"I'm not sure. You could ask your sister." Mai said.

"That's it?" I asked. She smiled.

"What, I'm not allowed to miss you?" She said. She quickly kissed me before heading off.

"Are you kidding?" Avery snapped.

"Wha-"

"We _literally_ just had this conversation." Avery said. She stood up and walked out. I held my head in my hands and sighed.

* * *

**"What an ass." Lin said, crossing her arms in annoyance.**

**"Which one? Mai or Zuko?" Chi asked.**

**"Both! I mean, come on, she had just talked to him about him kissing Mai in front of her, let alone in general, and then he kisses Mai right in front of her!"**

**"I'm really bad at telling what's bad in these situations, aren't I?" Chi asked rhetorically.**

**"It's a girl thing, don't take it personally." Lin said. She continued to watch the image and huffed. Her face then lit up with a grin.**

**"I've got an idea!"**

* * *

I ran through the courtyard and towards the jail. I then slowed and headed in. The guard stopped me.

"Why are you here?" He asked. I pushed back my hood and looked up. He nodded and let me through. I went to Iroh's room and entered, closing the door and sitting.

"Avery?" Iroh said.

"Iroh."

"What is it, child?" He asked.

"Zuko's being thick headed, as always." I said, sighing.

"Let me guess, Mai and him are in a relationship, and they keep showing it in front of you."

"How'd you guess." I asked rhetorically. I sighed, shaking my head. "What should I do?"

"Are you happy here?"

"Not really."

"Do you want to leave?"

"Not yet."

"Then leave when you can." Iroh said. "And when you want to."

"Thank you Iroh."

"Of course."

"I feel bad for leaving without you." I admitted.

"I'll be fine. I'm leaving soon as well." Iroh chuckled and I nodded.

"Good luck." I said.

"And to you, Avery."

* * *

_**Disclaimer:...**_


	27. Chapter 26

I sat across from Iroh again, finding comfort in talking to him.

"We're going to Ember Island... I think I'm going to leave after that..." I said.

"You're leaving from the island?"

"I mean, it gets me farther away from the Palace." I explained. Iroh nodded.

"Well, try to have fun in the meantime." Iroh said. I smiled sadly.

"I'll miss you Iroh." I said. I held a hand through the bars and Iroh took my hand, giving it a reassuring squeeze.

"I'll miss you as well. Now go, you leave very soon." Iroh said. I nodded and gave his hand one last squeeze before standing and leaving.

* * *

"I'm so excited to spend the weekend on Ember Island. It's going to be great to hang out on the beach and do nothing." Ty Lee said. She placed her hands behind her head, imitating a relaxed position.

"Doing nothing is a waste of time. We're being sent away on a forced vacation." Zuko said angrily. He rose from his seat next to Mai and walked away, gripping the railing of the boat. "I feel like a child."

"Lighten up. So Dad wants to meet with his advisers alone, without anyone else around. Don't take it personally." Azula said.

"Doesn't your family have a house on Ember Island?" Ty Lee asked.

"We used to come every summer when we were kids." Azula said.

"That must have been fun!" Ty Lee said.

"That was a long time ago." Azula said distantly.

* * *

"Welcome to Ember Island, kids." two woman said. I tried figuring out who they were. They seemed familiar... They led us into their home and entered the living room of sorts, followed by Azula, then Mai and Zuko, then me, then Ty Lee. Zuko whispered something to Mai and she rolled her eyes before whispering back. Ty Lee inspected a painting of two young women in bikinis posing back-to-back. The home owners approached. She raised arm and pointed at it.

"Who are these two beautiful women?" Ty Lee asked.

"Can't you tell?" One said.

"It's Lo and me." The other said just as the first said, "It's Li and me."

Everyone looked at them, disturbed. Well, everyone but me. I mean, I've seen worse. Zuko covered his mouth with his hand, about to vomit. Ty Lee laid down on a bed.

"Ooh, I love the seashell bedspread." She said, rubbing the pillow admiringly.

"Are you serious? It looks like the beach threw up all over it." Mai said.

"Really?" I asked.

"Yeah. Can't you see it?" Mai said. I frowned.

"No actually, I can't. I'm color blind." I snapped. "Color blind to everything but scent that is."

"Are you saying you see scents?" Azula asked, intrigued.

"Yeah, I see with my sense of smell. I'm part shirshu." I said. Ty Lee sat up and grinned.

"Really?! That's so cool!" She said. I smiled at her.

"Thanks."

"What color am I?" She asked.

"The brightest shade of pink I've ever smelt." I said, sitting on the edge of the bed. She squealed in delight.

"Ooo! Like my arua!" She said.

"You see aruas?" I asked. She nodded excitedly.

"You're a _really_pretty bright green." She said. I smiled.

"Aww, thanks." I said. Ty Lee and I joined up with the other's in front of Li and Lo as they spoke.

"The beach has a special way..." Lo began.

"... of smoothing even the most ragged edges." Li finished. They clapped twice.

"Time to hit the beach!" They said in unison. They tore off their robes to reveal that they were wearing loosely-fitting bathing suits. I lifted a hand and covered Zuko's eyes from the sight.

* * *

We headed onto the beach. Everyone else was already in their suits but I had mine covered by a large black cover up. Azula was carrying a blanket, Ty Lee, a bag, and Zuko and Mai, an umbrella. A sandcastle being built by two kids was crushed as Azula stepped on it. Azula looked down at the kids intimidatingly. The boys ran away screaming. Azula kicked a bucket out of the way. Ty Lee and I began unpacking when Ty Lee was approached by a boy.

"Hey, you need some help unpacking?" He asked.

"Sure. Thanks." Ty Lee said. She handed him her bag, the sheer weight of which caused him to fall over. I smirked a bit. He 'helped' Ty Lee unpack by throwing out random contents of the bag until he finally found a blanket. I saw Azula watching as the teen began laying it out for Ty Lee. Azula looked away in annoyance and jealousy as Ty Lee sat on the blanket. She squinted from the sun. She gestured with her hand.

"Could you scooch just a little bit more to the-" the guy moved to the side to block the sun and gave her shade. "Perfect." She winked and I rolled my eyes.

"Are you actually going to go in the water?" I asked her.

"Maybe. I like the sun more." She said. She looked to me and cocked her head to the side. "Do you even have a swim suit on under that?"

"Yeah, I do." I said, crossing my arms.

"Then why do you still have this on?" She asked, tugging on the cover up.

"Because I'm shy." I admitted. Ty Lee smiled.

"I'm sure you look great." She said. I sighed and frowned.

"If I take this off, will you go swimming?" I asked. Ty Lee grinned.

"Sure!" She said.

"Can I wait a bit though?" I asked. Ty Lee smiled.

"Okay." She agreed. The first teenager, still standing over Ty Lee, frowned as a second teen quickly moved in front of Ty Lee, offering a shell that I swore Zuko had been offering to Mai a few seconds earlier. She took the shell.

"Wow! Thanks. This is so pretty." Ty Lee said. I smirked, sensing a competition about to start.

"Not as pretty as you are." Said teen #2. #1 moved to the side of the other teen, annoyed.

"That shell's not so great!" #1 said. Ty Lee blocked her eyes.

"Ahem! Shade. Shade!"

* * *

I used my arms as a pillow as Ty Lee and I relaxed on her blanket. Ty Lee was being fanned by two teenagers while a third boy held up a blanket to give her shade.

"Ty Lee, get over here, now!" Azula called. "Avery, you too!"

Ty Lee did a handstand and walked on her hands to Azula. I stood and walked after her. Zuko took off his shirt and threw it down as doves flew in the background. A group of girls looked at him dreamily while blushing and giggling. I snarled at them as I passed and they paled. The foursome, meaning Azula, Zuko, Mai, and Ty Lee, entered the frame and got together in a team huddle. Azula looked up at me.

"Are you coming?" Azula said.

"Oh, I shouldn't-"

"Oh come on! Why not!" Ty Lee asked, breaking off to grab my hands.

"I was injured recently."

"That knife wound is from awhile ago." Zuko said. "And you were fully recovered when we left."

"I-"

"Oh come, you _did_ promise to take this off." Ty Lee said, yanking on the sleeves of my cover up. I huffed.

"Fine!" I said. I grabbed the hem of my cover up and tugged it off, throwing it to the side. Zuko stared with wide eyes along with Ty Lee's fan club along with any guy that had seen me. I sighed, regretting the emerald green bikini already. I walked forward and joined the huddle.

"Alright, game plan."

"See that girl with the silly pigtails? When she runs toward the ball, there's just the slightest hesitation of her left foot. I'm willing to bet a childhood injury has weakened her. Keep serving the ball to her left, and we'll destroy her and the rest of her team." We turned to face the other team. "Dismissed."

Azula threw the ball into the air. Azula leapt up and kicked the ball. The ball went flying past the other team. Zuko sprints forward and slid down to kick the ball up. I ran forward and hit the ball away as it fell. A teenage girl attempted to dive for the ball, but missed.

"Ever played before?" Zuko asked as I pulled him to his feet. I grinned.

"Nope. Never even been to a proper beach." I said. His eyebrows rose and he smirked.

"C'mon, we've got a game to play!" I said. The game went pretty swiftly. I served the ball and Ty Lee leapt up and kicked the ball down, then landed on the net. Two boys watched intently. Mai ran forward and she kicked the ball. Azula jumped on Zuko for a boost and kicked the ball. The ball rocketed forward. The ball expanded slightly before the ball explodes, setting the net on fire. My eyes widened in surprise before I smirked.

"Yes! We defeated you for _all _time! You will never rise from the ashes of your shame and humiliation!" She cackled. She then turned to us Well. That was fun."

I looked up as two guys approached. There scents were red with hints of purple.

"I'm having a party tonight. You should come by." The first said.

"Sure. I love parties." Ty Lee said.

"Your friends can come, too." The second said, eyeing Mai and I. I frowned.

"Uh... What about me and my brother? Aren't you going to invite us? You don't know who we are, do you?" Azula said. I sighed and rubbed my forehead with my hands.

"Don't you know who _we_ are? We're Chan and Ruon-Jian." Chan said.

"Yeah." Roun-Jian added. Zuko started walking toward them aggressively, but I stopped him by grabbing his shoulder.

"But, fine, you're invited. Just so you know, though, some of the most important teenagers in the Fire Nation are gonna be at this party, so try and act normal." Chan said. Azula smiled sincerely.

"We'll do our best."

* * *

We sat in silence as we ate with Li and Lo.

"Why didn't you tell those guys who we were?" Zuko asked suddenly.

"I guess I was intrigued. I'm so used to people worshiping us." Azula said.

"They should." Ty Lee said.

"Yes, I know, and I love it. But, for once, I just wanted to see how people would treat us if they didn't know who we were." Azula said.

"Like waves washing away the footprints on the sand, Ember Island gives everyone a clean slate." Li said.

"Ember Island reveals the true you." Lo added.

"Everyone deserves a chance at a new life, even if you only take on the life for awhile." I said. I looked to Zuko and smirked. "You should know, you gave me a chance to be a human girl for the rest of my life."

"What do you mean?" Mai asked. I looked down.

"That's not a story for now." I said. Li and Lo stood up, clapped, and snapped their fingers twice each, then they pointed upward.

"To the party!"

* * *

"You're wearing _that_?" Ty Lee asked. I turned and quirked an eyebrow.

"Uh, yeah."

"Oh come on! We're going to a party, not a funeral!" Ty Lee said. She dug through her bag and threw clothes at me. "Put those on."

"Ty Lee, you don't have to-"

"Of course I do! We're friends, aren't we?" She said. I nodded. "It's what friends do."

"Thank you, Ty Lee. For everything." I said. She grinned and squished me in a hug.

"You're welcome!" She said. She then let me go. "I'll be waiting outside."

* * *

"So..." I said, walking out into the living room. I looked to Ty Lee. "What do you think?"

"You look great." She said, grinning. "I knew you'd look good in red."

"Thanks." I said. She had given me a sleeveless red top that covered my chest and then became see through, seemingly ripped and ending at my hips. The black, skin tight shorts had the same ripped effect. The flats were red. I tied my bangs back and smiled. "C'mon, we have a party to go to."

* * *

We arrived at a beach house. Azula used the door knocker. The door opened to reveal Chan.

"Um... You're a little early. No one's here yet." Chan said.

"I heard you telling someone you'd be partying from dusk 'till dawn. It's dusk, so we're here." Azula said.

"But that's just an expression." Chan said.

"We are the perfect party guests. We arrive right on time, because we are very punctual." Azula said. Chan shrugged and then gestured us to follow as he turned away. Azula, Ty Lee and I entered inside to a wide room.

"All right, listen. My dad's an admiral. He has no idea I'm having this party," He turned to Azula._ "_so don't mess anything up."

"That's a sharp outfit, Chan. Careful. You could puncture the hull of an empire-class Fire Nation battleship, leaving thousands to drown at sea," She pointed at Chan's outfit. "because it's so sharp"

"Uh... thanks." Chan said awkwardly. He walked away. Azula smiled but then looked disappointed. I placed a hand on her shoulder and shrugged.

"Ever wonder why guys suck at pick up line? Because they don't realize a good pick up line when they hear one." I said. She smiled a bit.

"Thanks Avery..." She said.

* * *

I stood chatting with Ty Lee. The party had officially started and I noticed boy #1, #2, and #3 heading over towards us.

"Uh, Ty Lee... I don't want to alarm you, but I think we may be in trouble..." I said, jerking my head towards the approaching guys.

"So how do you know Ty Lee?" #2 said to #3.

"I met her at the beach today. She was pretty impressed by a sand pagoda that I made for her." #3 boasted to #1 and #2.

"Well, I met her first." #1 said. More teens appeared at the sides to form a circle.

" Look, i-it doesn't matter who I met first, 'cause I like you all." Ty Lee said.

"But which one of us do you_ like_?" #2 asked.

"Yeah." #3 agreed.

"Tell us." #2 said. I frowned and then wrapped an arm around Ty Lee's waist.

"Me." I said. Ty Lee looked to me in surprise before catching on.

"Yeah, her. I like her." Ty Lee said.

"But... she's... and your... how..." #1 stuttered in confusion. I grinned.

"Listen, hun. The world doesn't always work how you want it." I said. "Now if you'll excuse us."

"But which of _us_ does she like?" #1 asked. I facepalmed and ducked as Ty Lee snapped.

"I don't know! I don't know!" She said. She punched and kicked and the guys fell over, chi blocked. I stood again and huffed.

"Y'know, I'm surprised that didn't work. It always does at the bars." I said, nudging #2 with my foot. We cartwheeled over the guys and headed for Azula.

"Oh, I'm glad you two are here. Those boys won't leave me alone. I guess they all just like me too much." Ty Lee said, mostly to Azula.

"Come on, Ty Lee. You can't be this ignorant." Azula said.

"What are you talking about?" Ty Lee asked.

"Those boys only like you because you make it so easy for them. You're not a challenge. You're a tease. It's not like they actually care who you are." Ty Lee started sobbing. Azula changed to a softer and gentler tone. "Okay, okay, calm down. I didn't mean what I said. Look, maybe I just said it because I was a little..." her voice dropped to a whisper. "jealous."

"What? You're jealous of me? But you're the most beautiful, smartest, perfect girl in the world." Ty Lee said.

"Well, you're right about all those things... But, for some reason, when I meet boys, they act as if I'm going to do something horrible to them." Azula said. I placed a hand on her shoulder. Ty Lee giggled.

"But you probably would do something horrible to them. I'm sure they're just intimidated by you. Okay, look, if you want a boy to like you, just look at him and smile a lot and laugh at everything he says even if it's not funny." Ty Lee said. I shrugged.

"That's actually about it. And carry yourself confidently. Guys find confidence hot. Just, not too much, because they also want dominance." I added.

"Well, that sounds really shallow and stupid... Let's try it." Azula said.

"I'll do it." I said. I lowered my voice to be deeper. "Do you have a BandAid? I just scraped my knee falling for you."

Azula laughed very loudly. The entire party stopped to stare at her.

"Uh..." Ty Lee and I exchanged glances before shrugging in unison. "Alright, good enough."

* * *

"Zuko, what is wrong with you?" I heard Mai hiss at Zuko. I stood by a clump of people to listen in.

"What's wrong with _me_?"

"Your tempers is out of control. You blow up over every little thing. You're so impatient and hotheaded and angry!" Mai scolded.

"Well, at least I feel something, as opposed to you. You have no passion for anything! You're just a big blah!" Zuko snapped.

" It's over, Zuko. We're done." Mai said, turning her back.

"Who broke my nana's vase?" Chan asked loudly. Ruon-Jian pointed at Zuko. Chan ran up to him. "That's it! You're out of here!"

"I was just leaving." Zuko said.

"Have fun by yourself, _loser boy_." Roun-Jian sneered.

"_Nice_." Chan laughed. I frowned and headed over.

"What just happened?" I asked.

"Zuko was being overprotective and clingy." Mai said. I facepalmed, shaking my head.

"I'm going after him." I said. I ran out and sniffed the air, picking up the amber scent instantly. I hurried after Zuko but paused outside the large home. I peered inside to see Zuko moving forward and reaching out for something. He held a stone imprinted with his own baby hand print. He lifted it up and placed his hand on it. I walked forward hesitantly.

"Zuko?" I said softly. He turned slightly.

"Avery..." He said. I smiled slightly.

"I heard the fight. Are you alright?" I asked. He nodded.

"Yeah, I'm just frustrated." He said.

"Lemme guess. It keeps blowing up in your face, 'like everything always does'." I said, leaning against the door frame. He looked to me in surprise. "I listened in on your lesson."

"How?"

"Hei-Bai taught me a trick. Here," I walked over to a vase full of water and shot a small amount of energy into it. The water rippled. "show me... my parents and Hei-Bai."

**"Ah, Avery!"** Lin called through the vase.** "You finally called!"**

"Hi mom." I said. I looked to Zuko. "Come say hi."

"Err... Hello?" Zuko said, peering into the vase.

**"Ooo, _that's_ Zuko? Damn, Avery. You got yourself a hot taco right there!" **Lin said. I sputtered in surprise before glaring through the vase.

"Mom! Really? And what the hell is a taco?"

**"It's a really yummy food here in the Spirit World."** Chi explained.

"Alright then. Zuko, you've met my dad. The woman is my mom. And... where's Hei-Bai?" I asked. The panda grunted.

**"I'm right here."** He said.

"What's he saying?" Zuko whispered.

"Huh? You mean, you can't understand him? Weird, must be a spirit thing." I said.

**"Regretfully."** Hei-Bai said. **"Tell him I say hi."**

"Hei-Bai says hi." I said.

**"Avery, sorry, but we have spirity business to attend. Ta ta!"** Lin said before closing the image. I huffed.

"Well, that's my family for you." I said. Zuko nodded. I walked away and to the door. "I'll leave you to remember."

"Wait, Avery..." Zuko sighed. "Remember what you said after unparalyzing me?"

"The thing about your dad?"

"No, the whole company thing..." He trailed off. I smiled.

"Of course." I said. I sat on the steps and Zuko sat next to me. "Just wondering, what's your history with Mai?"

"What do you mean?"

"You seem to know each other quite well." I said.

"We were friends when we were little." Zuko said. I nodded.

"So... she knows a lot about your past?" I asked. Zuko paused, unsure of how to answer.

"I-I... no?" Zuko said. He huffed. "Why does it matter?"

"Sorry, just curious. I was thinking of why she blew up at you instead of talking it out." I said. "I mean, even I know not to fight fire with fire."

"Why do you even care?" Zuko said. I gave him a deadpan look.

"You seriously forgot already?" I said. Zuko gave me an innocent confused look. I held my face in my hands and stood. I was about to snap at him when Azula appeared.

"I thought I'd find you here."

"Those summers we spent here seem so long ago. So much has changed." Zuko said.

"Come down to the beach with me. Come on. This place is depressing." Azula said. "Glad you found him."

"It wasn't too hard. I know his scent." I said, looking away. Right now, his scent was making my nose itch, and not in the good way. I had made up my mind.

* * *

Azula, Zuko and I approached Mai and Ty Lee. Zuko walked past Mai and glanced at her.

"H-Hey." Mai said. Zuko turned to Mai.

"Where's your new boyfriend?" Mai turned away. Zuko sat down next to her.

"It's bitter." I said, raising my head to sniff the air.

"Are you cold?" Zuko asked Mai. She slapped his hand when he tried to place it on her shoulder.

"I'm _freezing_." Ty Lee said. I sat next to her and she leaned against me. "You're really warm!"

"I'm part shirshu, I'm always warm." I said. I shifted my arm to wrap it around her shoulder to warm her up.

"I'll make a fire." Zuko looked up to the vacation house. "There's plenty of stuff to burn in _there_."

* * *

"What are you doing?" Ty Lee asked.

"What does it look like I'm doing?"

"But, it's a painting of your family."

"You think I care?" Zuko snapped angrily.

"I think you do." Ty Lee said.

"You don't know me, so why don't you just mind your own business?" Zuko walked away. I sighed, sensing an argument. Ty Lee scoffed.

"I know you."

"No, you don't. You're stuck in your little 'Ty Lee world' where everything's great all the time!" Zuko said. I frowned.

"Zuko, leave her alone." Mai and I said in almost perfect unison.

"'I'm so pretty. Look at me. I can walk on my hands. Whoo!'" Zuko did a handstand. Ty Lee looked upset. "Circus freak."

Azula giggled. Ty Lee began crying.

"Yes, I'm a circus freak. Go ahead and laugh all you want. You want to know why I joined the circus?" Ty Lee said.

"Here we go." Azula muttered. I shushed her with a dark look.

"Do you have any idea what my home life was like? Growing up with six sisters who look exactly like me?" She stood. "It was like I didn't even have my own name." She kneeled down, crying. "I joined the circus because I was scared of spending the rest of my life as part of a matched set. At least I'm different now." She lifted her head angrily. "'Circus freak' is a compliment."

"Guess that explains why you need ten boyfriends, too." Mai sneered. I looked at her in disgust.

"I'm sorry, what?" Ty Lee snapped.

"Attention issues. You couldn't get enough attention when you were a kid, so you're trying to make up for it now." Mai said.

"Well, what's _your_ excuse, Mai? You were an only child for fifteen years, but even with all that attention, your aura is this dingy, pasty, gray,-"

"I don't believe in auras." Mai said sharply, cutting Ty Lee off. Zuko got up again.

"Yeah, you do not believe in anything." He said.

"Oh, well, I'm sorry I can't be as high-strung and crazy as the rest of you." Mai said sarcastically. Zuko walked up to the campfire.

"I'm sorry, too. I wish you would be high-strung and crazy for once instead of keeping all your feeling bottled up inside. She just called your aura dingy. Are you gonna take that?" Zuko said. Mai leaned back on her hands.

"What do you want from me? You want a teary confession about how hard my childhood was? Well, it wasn't. I was a rich only child who got anything I wanted... as long as I behaved and sat still, and didn't speak unless spoken to. My mother said I had to keep out of trouble. We had my dad's political career to think about." Mai said.

"Well, that's it, then. You have a controlling mother who had certain expectations, and if you strayed from them, you were shut down. That's why you're afraid to care about anything, and why you can't express yourself." Azula said.

"You want me to express myself?" She stood up and yelled. "Leave me alone!"

"I like it when you express yourself." Zuko approached, attempting to put a hand on her shoulder.

"Don't touch me! I'm still mad at you." She sat.

"My life hasn't been that easy either, Mai." Zuko said.

"Whatever. That doesn't excuse the way you've been acting." Mai said.

"Calm down, you guys. This much negative energy is bad for your skin. You'll totally break out." Ty Lee said.

"Bad skin? Normal teenagers worry about bad skin. I don't have that luxury." He leaned forward. My father decided to teach me a permanent lesson on my face!" He said, pointing to his scar.

"Sorry, Zuko, I..."

"For so long I thought that if my dad accepted me, I'd be happy. I'm back home now, my dad talks to me. Ha! He even thinks I'm a hero. Everything should be perfect, right? I should be happy now, but I'm not. I'm angrier than ever and I don't know why!" He said, standing in front of the fire, facing us.

"There's a simple question you need to answer, then. Who are you angry at?" Azula asked.

"No one. I'm just angry." Zuko said.

"Yeah, who are you angry at, Zuko?" Mai prompted.

"Everyone. I don't know." Zuko said, becoming frustrated.

"Is it Dad?" Azula asked.

"No, no."

"Your uncle?" Ty Lee asked.

"Me?" Azula said.

"No, no, n-no, no!"

"Then who? Who are you angry at?" Mai asked.

"Answer the question Zuko." Azula said.

"Talk to us." Ty Lee said.

"Come on, answer the question."

"Come on, answer it." Azula said. Zuko lost it.

"I'm angry at myself!" Zuko yelled furiously. Slamming down with his clenched fists, he caused the campfire to turn into a pillar of fire. The other girls recoiled from the flames, but I stayed still. The flame died down and Zuko turned away.

"Why?"

"Because I'm confused. Because I'm not sure I know the difference between right and wrong anymore." Zuko said.

"You're pathetic." Azula scoffed.

"I know one thing I care about." Mai said, walking up to Zuko. "I care about you." They kissed.

"Well, those were wonderful performances, everyone." Azula said.

"I guess you wouldn't understand, would you, Azula?" Zuko said. He put an arm around Mai. "Because you're just _so_ perfect."

"Well, yes, I guess you're right. I don't have sob stories like all of you. I could sit here and complain how our mom liked Zuko more than me, but I don't really care." She gazed into the fire._ "_My own mother thought I was a monster... She was right, of course, but it still hurt."

"What Lo and Li said came true. The beach did help us learn about ourselves." She picked up a rock and rubbed it, smiling. "I feel all smoothed. I'll always remember this."

"Yeah, we did learn... except for Avery." Azula said, causing everyone to look to me. I quirked an eyebrow.

"Oh no, _do_go on." I said. "I'd hate to interrupt."

"Oh?" Mai prompted.

"Well, I'm just the loyal lapdog, so my opinion doesn't really matter, does it?" I asked rhetorically, standing in anger.

"Avery, what are you talking about?" Zuko asked. I huffed.

"Well, I thought I was actually getting past your barriers to become your friend, and now that you're crowned prince again, you're barely talking to me. Besides, I don't have any family issues to confess."

"Really?" Ty Lee said, ignoring Zuko's guilty look.

"Can't have family issues without a family. They're all dead or never were living." I said.

"So then what's your story?" Azula said. "Why are you so high and mighty?"

"'high and mighty'?" I said. "You're kidding right?"

"What's your story?" Ty Lee said. I huffed.

"Fine. Well, my mom died when I was really little and my dad had to return to the Spirit World, leaving behind his almost fully blind toddler. I was kidnapped into a orphanage and ran away about two years later to get away from abuse, because they tried taming a wild shirshu pup. They didn't want me running around harming the others, even though I wouldn't even try. I was fucking blind! Anyways, I then spent a month with a shirshu family, before a bounty hunter named June found me. She made me her weapon, a prop, a toy to track down runaways to get money. I was abused. I spent almost my whole life as a shirshu. I'm a teenaged girl, and I should be living that way. But even now, I'm just a lapdog." I said. I turned and walked away, leaving the foursome stunned, Ty Lee in almost tears.

"Avery, come back!" Ty Lee called. I whipped around and clenched my fists.

"What, so you can comment on my past? I don't care what you think of me! I'm a savage, a lapdog, a lovesick pest, a peasant. A total moron. I. don't. care." I said. "I'm so sick of all your opinions, and fights, and drama! Just leave me alone!"

"Avery, wait!"

"Fuck off Zuko! Oh, sorry your highness." I said, seeing his shocked face. "Sorry I don't bow down and kiss your feet like all of the other mindless 'peasants' you monarchs manipulate. I'm done. I'm leaving."

"Where are you going to go, huh? Back to June?!" Zuko said, gesturing wildly.

"It's better than being with you douche bags!" I said, gesturing back. I turned and bent an arch of sand and rock.

"Avery, what are you doing?" Zuko asked. I sighed, bowing my head. I turned back as I raised a hand, shooting a beam of green light at the arch. The light spread between the pillars and began glowing even brighter. "I'm breaking a promise."

"No!" Zuko yelled as I stepped into the light.

* * *

**"Avery... welcome home."**

* * *

_**Bwahaha I'm evil!**_

_**Damn, this chapter has 5000+ words. I'm so proud of myself, yay!**_

_**Disclaimer...**_

_**So, where do you think Avery's going after her detour to the Spirit World.**_


	28. Chapter 27

**"I can't believe he could be so** stupid**!" I exclaimed, throwing up my arms.**

**"Guys are stupid." Lin said with a shrug.**

**"Hey!" Chi said. Lin sent him a look that said to shut up.**

**"So, are you going to stay here, or are you planning on going back to Zuko?" Lin asked. I sighed.**

**"I dunno. The avatar's still alive, right?" I asked. Lin nodded. I stood. "I know what to do."**

**"You sure they're going to welcome you in?" Hei-Bai asked.**

**"Of course they won't." I said. "But I know they will... eventually..."**

**"Good luck." Chi said. I nodded and Hei-Bai shot a beam at me, sending me to the mortal world.**

* * *

I crouched behind a wheelbarrow and watched Toph run from the authorities and was caught in a net.

"How could you do this to me? You betrayed me!" Toph yelled. My eyes widened and then I smirked, realizing there plan. Katara crossed her arms.

"You brought this on yourself. I had no choice." She turned away from Toph. Toph was dragged away in the net, all the while glaring back at Katara. Katara glances back slightly and gave a sly smile. She was then joined by the chief of authorities.

"You did the right thing by turning in the Runaway." He said.

"The right thing is its own reward." Katara said.

"Well, I'm happy to hear you say that." He said.

"But, I still want the actual reward." Katara said.

"Of course. Right this way." I snuck after them.

* * *

In an office, the town authority grabbed a box underneath a desk and looked around in it. The door opened behind Katara, who was standing across the desk from the chief. The chief then closed the box and pointed at Katara.

"That's her! That's the girl you were looking for!" Katara turned and I frowned as her face showed shock and horror. Katara was thrown in with Toph, and they started talking. Toph busted into tears and Katara embraced her.

* * *

Katara exhaled deeply and wiped her forehead with the back of her hand. Her eyes then widened with realization as she noticed her hand was covered in sweat. She smiled and quickly stood up to start running in place. Toph talked with her. Katara stopped running and wiped her forehead again. This time, she used waterbending to use the midair sweat as blades to cut through the wooden cage. Toph stood up upon noticing this. Katara then waterbent another blade of sweat, this time from under her arms. I decided it was time to bust them out. I body slammed the door open and walked in. The guard went to exclaim, but I punched him in the face. I looked to the girl in the cage and the stared.

"Hi." I said. I kicked the cage and it broke. I pulled wood away and the girls scrambled out.

"Where's Zuko?" Toph asked. I frowned.

"We split up." I said. "He broke a promise he made to me, so I broke mine."

"Why are you here?"

"Figured you'd need some help." I said. "C'mon, Aang and Sokka are in trouble.

We ran out. Aang was on the ground. He looked up and saw the assassin standing above him inhale, about to fire another blast at Aang, but his head was suddenly encased in ice. The assassin moved and Aang saw Katara, Sokka, and Toph, and I standing behind the assassin.

"Aang, get up!" Katara said. She helped him up and we ran away.

"Why are you here?!" Aang called. "Where's Zuko?!"

"We split up and I figured you needed some help. Duck!" I yelled. The assassin had broken the ic with brute force and launched another blast at us, but Toph and I quickly launched a boulder at the blast, blowing the boulder up. A pebble from the boulder flew toward the assassin and him him square in his third eye, which momentarily stunned and angered him. He tried to fire another blast, but with his chi is blocked, he ignited the air around him and was sent back, head-first into a wall.

"Hey, I got it! The perfect name for that guy: 'Combustion Man!'" Sokka said.

"Good job, Sokka. Now let's get outta here before Combustion Man catches us." Toph said.

"See? It fits so well!" Sokka said.

* * *

"So... why exactly did you and Zuko split up?" Katara asked. We were the gang flying to another camp spot on Appa. Sokka was still wary of me joining. Aang and Sokka got off Appa. The girls and I got off and I sighed.

"Well, I made a promise to stick with him, but betraying you guys... I couldn't put up with that. Plus, he was being a total jerk. So I left. I spent about a week in the Spirit World, then decided to come help you guys." I explained.

"She isn't lying." Toph said. I nodded. Katara sighed and nodded too.

"Well then, welcome to the GAang." Katara said. Katara went to walk away, but Toph stopped her.

"Katara? I need your help."

"What is it, Toph?" Katara asked. She pulled out a sheet of paper.

"I need you to write some things down for me. I wanna send a letter to my parents." Toph said. She smiled.

"I'll be happy to help."

"Here's some light." I said, holding green energy in my palm. Toph told Katara what to write down, we placed the letter inside Hawky's holder and sent him off.

"Hey, where'd Hawky go?" Sokka asked. I shrugged, curling up on the ground. I fell asleep with ease. I dreamt of Zuko.

* * *

_**So, Avery's officially one of the GAang members. They're still wary, but welcoming.**_

_**What'd you think?**_

_**Disclaimer:...**_


	29. Chapter 28

A waxing gibbous moon glowing over us in the night sky. Team Avatar and I camped out among the trees. The darkness of the night gave the landscape an ominous feeling. Except for me, I could see in the night like it where day. Toph wasn't freaked out either. Sokka was telling ghost stories.

"Suddenly, they heard something down the hall in the dark. Oooh... It came into the torchlight... and they knew the blade of Wing Fung was haunted!" He drew his sword, stood up and pointed it toward the fire. He yelle dramatically. "Ooh-aaah!"

Aang was lying down, Katara was hunched over in a sitting position and Toph sat casually, all three looking unamused. I was sprawled on my stomach, propped up on my elbows, facing the fire.

"I think I like 'the man with a sword for a hand' better." Aang said, unimpressed.

"Water Tribe slumber parties must stink." Toph said.

"No, wait! I've got one! And this is a true Southern Water Tribe story." Katara said.

"Is this one of those 'a friend of my cousin knew some guy that this happened to' stories?" Sokka asked, sitting down next to me to face his sister.

"No, it happened to Mom." Katara said. Sokka stiffened at that, and Aang sat up to listen with interest.

"One winter when Mom was a girl, a snowstorm buried the whole village for weeks. A month later, Mom noticed she hadn't seen her friend Nini since the storm. So Mom and some others went to check on Nini's family. When they got there, no one was home. Just a fire flickering in the fireplace. While the men went out to search, Mom stayed in the house. When she was alone, she heard a voice." In a scary voice, she said, "'It's so cold and I can't get warm!'" Sokka stiffened in fear and I sat up, head cocked to the side. "Mom turned and saw Nini standing by the fire. She was blue like she was frozen. Mom ran outside for help, but when everyone came back, Nini was gone."

"Where'd she go?" Sokka asked.

"No one knows. Nini's house stands empty to this day, but sometimes, people see smoke coming up from the chimney, like little Nini is still trying to get warm." Katara said. We sat in silence. Toph suddenly straightened up and placed her hands on the ground.

"Wait! Guys, did you hear that? I hear people under the mountain. And they're screaming."

"Pft! Nice try, Toph." Sokka said. I stiffened.

"She isn't lying, I hear it too." I said.

"You're probably just jumpy from the ghost stories..." Katara said.

"It just..."

"stopped." I finished for her. Katara and Aang clutched onto each other in fear.

"Alright, now I'm getting scared." Aang admitted.

"Hello, children." Everyone, including me, screamed in terror upon hearing the strange woman's voice and scrambled from the ground, huddling together. An elderly woman emerged from the shadows.

"Sorry to frighten you. My name is Hama. You children shouldn't be out in the forest by yourselves at night. I have an inn nearby. Why don't you come back there for some spiced tea and warm beds?" Hama offered. I broke off from the group and cleared my throat awkwardly.

"Yes, please."

* * *

"Thanks for letting us stay here tonight. You have a lovely inn." Katara said. Hama set the teapot down.

"Aren't you sweet?" She walked over to her seat and sat down. "You know you should be careful. People have been disappearing in those woods you were camping in."

"What do you mean 'disappearing'?" Sokka asked. She set her teacup down.

"When the moon turns full, people walk in and they don't come out." She stood up and held up her teapot, smiling cheerfully. "Who wants more tea?"

"Uh, no thank you." I said.

"Don't worry, you'll all be completely safe here." Hama clasped her hands together and smiled. "Why don't I show you to your rooms and you can get a good night's rest?"

* * *

Why the hell did she put me with Sokka? Why the hell did we have to share a bed? And why'd he have to be shirtless? Sokka was laying on his side of the bed with Momo asleep on the floor. He rolled over. A creaking noise came from outside, frightening him. He drew his sword quickly while Momo scampered under the covers.

"I know, Momo. This place is creepy!" He placed his sword back inside its holster and set it down. He laid back down on the pillow and pulled the covers over him. "I don't know if I'm gonna be able to fall asleep!"

"Well, I won't be able to if you don't shuddup." I mumbled, half asleep.

"How aren't you freaked out?" Sokka asked, rolling over to look at me. I huffed.

"I grew up in an orphanage, then the wild, then a bar. I'm used the nightly noises." I explained. "Go to sleep."

"I can't!" He whined. I sat up and glared at him.

"What can I do? I mean, do ya want to cuddle or something?" I asked sarcastically. He blinked rapidly in surprise before looking embarrassed.

"Uh..."

* * *

"Wakey, wakey! Time to go shopping!" Hama chirped. My eyes flew open in time to see Katara appear by her side, dressed and happily smiling. They then bustled out and I sat up, rubbing my face. After traveling with these guys for awhile, I was glad to be in a bead. I flicked Sokka's arm away from my hip and stood up, hopping over the lazy boy, and tugging on my clothes. I tied my hair back and walked out.

* * *

Aang, Sokka, Toph, and I walked through the marketplace. Aang carried a package slung over his shoulder, Sokka carried a package attached to his sword, while Toph and I each carried a large, round basket on our heads.

"People disappearing in the woods, weird stuff happening during full moons? This just reeks of Spirit World shenanigans." Sokka said.

"Hey!" I said, frowning.

"What?"

"_I'm_ a spirit!" I said.

"I bet if we take a little walk around town, we'll find out what these people did to the environment to make the spirits mad." Aang said, breaking the tension. Sokka gestured with his hand.

"And then you can sew up this little mystery lickety-split, Avatar style!" Sokka said.

"Helping people... that's what I do." Aang said proudly. Aang, Sokka, Toph and I approached Katara and Hama.

"Why don't you take all those things back to the inn? I just have to run a couple more errands. I'll be back in a little while." Hama said. I took her full basket in my hands.

"This is a mysterious little town you have here." Sokka said.

"Mysterious town for mysterious children." She said. She smiled and sauntered away, leaving Sokka feeling suspicious.

* * *

The gang and I unpacked groceries inside Hama's inn. Sokka walked over to a counter and set his basket down.

"That Hama seems a little strange. Like she knows something, or she's hiding something." Sokka said. I shrugged, placing down my basket and taking the one off my head.

"That's ridiculous. She's a nice woman who took us in and gave us a place to stay. She kinda reminds me of Gran-Gran." Katara said, examining a cabbage.

"But what did she mean by that comment, 'mysterious children'?" Sokka asked.

"Gee, I don't know. Maybe because she found five strange kids camping in the woods at night? Isn't that a little mysterious?" I remarked.

"I'm gonna take a look around." Sokka said. He walked away and up a flight of wooden stairs.

"Sokka! Sokka, what are you doing? You can't just snoop around someone's house." Katara called up the stairs.

"It'll be fine." Sokka said nonchalantly.

"She could be home any minute." Aang warned, sounding nervous. I huffed and walked down hallway with the rest of the team following after.

"Sokka, you're gonna get us all in trouble and this is just plain rude!" Katara said.

"I'm not finished yet." He was tugging on a cupboard door. He grunted, as he tried to pull it free. "Come on..."

The cupboard suddenly opened, revealing several wooden puppets stowed inside. The dolls fell forward, held together only by their strings. Everyone gasped; Sokka withdrew his sword, backed up and pointed it straight at the puppets.

"Okay, that's pretty creepy." Aang said. Katara walked over and closed the cupboard. She was a bit weirded out when she spoke.

"So she's got a hobby. There's nothing weird about that. Sokka, you've looked enough." She added angrily as Sokka ascended into the attic. "Hama will be back soon."

"Just an ordinary puppet-loving innkeeper, huh? Well then why does she have a locked door up here?" Sokka asked.

"Probably to keep people like you from going through her stuff." I remarked.

"We'll see." Sokka said. He peered through the keyhole into the room. "It's empty, except for a little chest."

"Maybe it's treasure!"

"Toph, don't encourage him." Katara said. Sokka grew excited, his eyes growing wide, and he used his sword to pick the lock.

"Sokka, what are you doing? You're breaking into a private room!" Katara scolded.

"I have to see what's in there." Sokka insisted. The door unlocked and creaked open. The five of us stepped cautiously inside; Sokka put away his sword and approached the small chest.

"We shouldn't be doing this." Aang said. Sokka picked up the chest and tried to pry it open, only to discover it was locked.

"Maybe there's a key here somewhere..." Sokka said.

"Ooh! Hand it over!" Toph said. She took the chest, removed her meteor bracelet from her arm and earthbent it into the shape of a small key, which she stuck into the keyhole of the chest.

"Come on, come on!"

"This isn't as easy as it looks!"

"Guys, I don't know about this..."

"This is crazy! I'm leaving!" Katara said.

"Suit yourself! Do it, Toph!"

"Wait, give it." I said, grabbing the chest, seeing that Toph was having major issues. I elongated my fingernail and slipped it into the keyhole, clicking it open. Katara turned to leave the moment I signale that I had successfully opened the chest, holding my thumb up. All four eagerly surrounded the box in a comical fashion, anticipating what they will find inside. I turned though as my nose twitched, smelling the familiar redish purple of Hama.

"I'll tell you what's in the box." She said. All, except Toph and I, screamed and turned sharply to find Hama standing in the doorway. Sokka guiltily handed her the box. Hama lifted the lid and reached her hand inside. Sokka had eyes wide in anxiousness. Hama lifted the object, a blue whale tooth comb in her hand. She smiled.

"An old comb?" Sokka said in surprise.

"It's my greatest treasure. It's the last thing I own from growing up in the Southern Water Tribe."

"You're from the Southern Water Tribe?" Katara gasped. Sokka and her stared in astonishment.

"Just like you."

"How did you know?"

"I heard you talking around your campfire." Hama said.

"But why didn't you tell us?" Sokka asked.

"I wanted to surprise you! I bought all this food today so I could fix you a big Water Tribe dinner. Of course, I can't get all the ingredients I need here, but ocean kumquats are a lot like sea prunes if you stew them long enough." Hama said, beaming.

"Great..." Aang said, sticking out his tongue.

"I knew I felt a bond with you right away." Katara said.

"And I knew you were keeping a secret, so I guess we're both right." He grimaced as Katara him him in the arm. "But I'm sorry we were sneaking around."

"Apology accepted." Hama said. She turned to the side and motioned with her hand. "Now, let's get cooking!"

* * *

"Who wants five flavor soup?" Hama asked. The five us raised our hands in acceptance. Hama situated her hands over the bowl and suddenly used waterbending to summon a globule of soup and fill each of our bowls. The team looked at the spectacle in astonishment. Four streams of soup landed gracefully into each of our bowls.

"You're a waterbender! I've never met another waterbender from our tribe!" Katara said in delight.

"That's because the Fire Nation wiped them all out. I was the last one..." Hama replied sadly. Katara clasped her hands together, an expression of pity on her face.

"So how did you end up out here?" Sokka asked. Hama began:

"I was stolen from my home. It was over sixty years ago when the raids started. They came again and again, each time rounding up more of our waterbenders and taking them captive. We did our best to hold them off, but our numbers dwindled as the raids continued. Finally, I too was captured. I was led away in chains. The last waterbender of the Southern Water Tribe." Hama said. Katara walked over to Hama and placed her arms around her shoulder comfortingly. "They put us in terrible prisons here in the Fire Nation. I was the only one who managed to escape."

"How did you get away? And why did you stay in the Fire Nation?" Sokka asked.

"I'm sorry. It's too painful to talk about anymore."

"We completely understand. We lost our mother in a raid." Katara told Hama.

"Oh, you poor things." Hama said. Aang, Sokka and I casted our heads down solemnly.

"I can't tell you what it means to meet you. It's an honor. You're a hero."

"I never thought I'd meet another Southern waterbender. I'd like to teach you what I know so you can carry on the Southern tradition when I'm gone."

"Yes! Yes, of course! To learn about my heritage, it would mean everything to me." Katara said. I smiled a bit, but couldn't shake the foreboding feeling building in my chest.

* * *

"This has got to be the nicest natural setting in the Fire Nation. I don't see anything that would make a spirit mad around here." Aang said.

"As a half spirit, I don't think it's my kin causing trouble."

"Maybe the Moon Spirit just turned mean." Toph suggested.

"The Moon Spirit is a gentle, loving lady. She rules the sky with compassion and... lunar goodness!" Sokka exclaimed. Right, he had a thing for Yue before... right.

"Excuse me, sir. Can you tell us anything about the spirit that's been stealing people?" Aang asked.

"Only one man ever saw it and lived and that's Old Man Ding." The villager replied.

"Where does Old Man Ding live?" Toph asked.

* * *

Later that night, Aang, Sokka, Toph, and I approached Old Man Ding, who was boarding up his windows.

"Old Man Ding?" Aang called.

"Huh?" Ding said. He accidentally hammered his thumb.

"Ow, dang blame it! What? Can't you see I'm busy? Got a full moon rising. And why does everyone call me that? I'm not that old!" He attempted to lift a wooden plank off the ground, but failed to do so. He sighed. I approached and helped Ding lift the board. "Well, I'm young at heart. Not ready to get snapped up by some moon monster yet at least."

"We wanted to ask you about that." Sokka said, proceeding to nail the board to the window frame.

"Did you get a good look at the spirit that took you?" Aang asked.

"Didn't see no spirit-"

"Hah!" I said, jabbing a finger at the trio. "Sorry Ding, continue."

"I just felt something come over me like I was possessed. Forced me to start walking toward the mountain." He pointed to the mountain. "I tried to fight it, but I couldn't control my own limbs. It just about had me into a cave up there. And I looked up at the moon for what I thought would be my last glimpse of light. But then the sun started to rise and I got control of myself again! I just high-tailed it away from that mountain as quick as I could!"

"Why would a spirit want to take people to a mountain?" Sokka wondered aloud.

"It's not a spirit!" I yelled, the ground under my feet cracking a bit in anger.

"Oh no!" Toph yelled. Sokka and Aang assumed defensive positions. "I did hear people screaming under the mountain."

"The missing villagers must still be there!" I finished. Aang, Sokka, Toph, and I raced through the dark forest in search of the imprisoned villagers.

"I can hear them. They're this way!" Toph said.

* * *

Aang, Sokka, Toph, and I arrived at the mountain and we stood before the mouth of the cave.

"This is the place." I confirmed. A tangle of scent wound out of the cavern.

"I can't see anything down there." Sokka said.

"That's why you have us." I said. I grabbed Sokka's hand, Toph grabbed Aang, and we headed in. "Let's go."

The four of us descended into the dark cave and approached a solid metal door, torches nearby. Using metalbending, Toph broke it down.

"You _have_ to teach me that." I said. We proceeded to make our way through the tunnel, Aang and Sokka lighting the path with the torches. We arrived to see several villagers chained to the walls of the cave.

"We're saved!" Said one of the men. Toph unfastened her meteor bracelet and I elongated my nails. We began to unlock the prisoners' shackles.

"I didn't know spirits made prisons like this."

"It's not a spirit!" I yelled, about ready to bend a rock at his head.

"She's right. It was no spirit!" The female said.

"Who brought you here?" Aang asked.

"It was a witch!"

"A witch? What do you mean?" Sokka asked.

"She seems like a normal old woman, but she controls people like some dark puppetmaster!" The same female said.

"Hama..." I said, looking to Sokka, who gritted his teeth.

"Yes, the innkeeper!"

"I knew there was something creepy about her!" Sokka said.

"We have to stop her." I said.

"I'll get these people out of here. You go!" Toph said. Aang, Sokka, and I fled while Toph stayed behind.

* * *

"We know what you've been doing, Hama!" Sokka yelled as we halted in front of Hama and Katara.

"Give up!" Aang said, taking a fighting stance. "You're outnumbered!"

"No! You've outnumbered yourselves." Hama said. I gasped as she began bloodbending Aang, Sokka, and I. I fought the painful feeling as the boys yelled in fear, and sent them in Katara's direction. Katara pushed them out of her way and drew water from the ground, sending a stream at Hama, who in turn drew water from a vine and used a water wheel to deflect the attack. Unwillingly, Sokka drew his sword.

"Katara, look out!" Sokka was forced to walk like a puppet while waving the blade back and forth rapidly. "It's like my brain has a mind of its own! Stop it arm, stop it!"

"Gah!" I yelled, falling to my knees as I fought the bending. Katara pulled up a ring of water and pushed Sokka away.

"This feels weird." Aang said. Using waterbending, Katara froze him to a nearby tree.

"I'm sorry, Aang!" She said.

"It's okay!" Aang said. She caught sight of Sokka, still under Hama's power, unwillingly preparing to strike her with his sword. She drew water from a vine and froze his sword and hand to a tree as well.

"Don't hurt your friends, Katara! And don't let them hurt each other!" Hama said. She used bloodbending to break Aang and Sokka free from their ice encasements and sent them colliding straight into one another with Sokka's sword pointing straight at Aang. I gritted my teeth and stood, fighting the bloodbending off. I ran forward and shoulder checked Aang out of the way, as Katara screamed.

"No!" Aang and Sokka abruptly halted in their tracks and looked at their hands in confusion, but not in time for the sword not to dig into my skin. Not one of the other noticed though as I gripped my side. Hama had suddenly stiffened. Looks of shock then dismay across Katara's face as she regrettably used bloodbending to subdue her. Hama grunted in discomfort then turned to witness the imprisoned villagers and Toph approaching the scene. The elderly waterbender was arrested, handcuffs placed around her wrists.

"You're going to be locked away forever." one said.

"My work is done. Congratulations, Katara. You're a bloodbender." Hama said. Katara was clearly distressed and broke down in tears. Hama laughing evilly as she was dragged away by the villagers. Katara was crying underneath the full moon as Aang, arm around her, and Sokka, hand on her back, attempted to comfort her. I was kneeling with one hand to my stomach, the other to the ground.

"Uh, Avery, are you okay?" Toph asked. I pulled my hand away to reveal the blood shining on my skin. Those who could see gasped.

"Avery, how did that... Oh..." Aang trailed off as Sokka held up his sword, the tip shining red. Sokka paled.

"Avery, I'm so sorry." Sokka said, rushing over and dropping his sword.

"I'm fin- Ow!" I hissed. "Don't _touch _it!"

"Move over, I'll heal you." Katara said, kneeling at my side. I gripped the grass as she began healing my wound.

"I promise I won't disappear this time." I said, laughing a bit with pain. Katara pulled her hands away, the open wound now a tiny scar. I traced it and pursed my lips in approval. "Thank you."

"I'm so sorry!" Sokka yelled, tackling me off my knees. I grunted and hugged back.

"It's alright, I'm fine. Really. It's not your fault." I said. "Can I please get up? My bloody shirts smearing yours."

"Gah!" Sokka yelped, scrambling off me. Toph smirked as I stood.

"C'mon, let's go." I said, brushing the dirt off my back. We found Appa and we left.

* * *

_**Ooo, I can make this centered. Cool. Wow, sad it took me this long to figure that out.**_

_**Disclaimer:...**_

_**What'd you think? Any Avery and Sokka shippers?"**_


	30. Chapter 29

"This is it! The official rendezvous point for the invasion force." Sokka said. It was a vast area of barren space, some koala sheep sleeping around.

"How did you pick this place?" Toph asked.

"Before we split up, my dad and I found this island on the map. It's uninhabited, and the harbors surrounded by the cliffs seemed like the perfect secluded place." Sokka said.

"Nice choice, Sokka." I said.

"And we're here four days ahead of schedule." Katara said.

"Wait! Four days? The invasion's in _four_ days?" Aang said, anxious. Sokka yawned.

"Whatever. That's like four days from now. Let's just calm down and-" Sokka fell asleep and began snoring. I caught him before he fell onto his face. I rolled my eyes and placed him on the ground.

"Sokka's got the right idea, Aang. We're here. We're ready. The best thing we can do now is get plenty of rest." Katara said, lying down.

"I guess..." Aang said. We all curled up and fell asleep.

* * *

Meanwhile, at the Fire Nation Palace, Zuko was getting dressed and ready, with help from his servants.

"Fresh fruit, Prince Zuko?" The first asked. Zuko put out his hand and shook his head respectfully.

"May I wash your feet, sir?" The second offered. Zuko respectfully put his hand out and shook his head again.

"Head massage?" Asked the first. Zuko shook his head again.

"Hot towel?" Zuko looked at the towels for a moment, then took one. He wiped his forehead, then walked out of the room. The two servants bowed behind him. Zuko then walked out the palace gates, with Fire Nation citizens waited for him. One woman became overly excited at seeing Zuko, and was taken away by the palace guards.

"Prince Zuko, is something wrong? You didn't take the palanquin." The first servant said.

"I'm just going to Mai's house. It's not far."

"It's not a prince's place to walk anywhere, sir." Zuko looked to the distance, then walked over and got into the palanquin. The servants picked it up and walked over to Mai's house. Zuko looked out of the palanquin's curtains and saw Mai, who was standing by the doors to her house, who waved and walked inside.

* * *

Aang was banging his fists against a tree, which woke up Sokka, Toph, and Katara. I was already up, but knew not to go over to him. Katara looked at me, but I just shrugged. She decided to go talk to Aang.

"Hey. How long have you been up?" Katara asked.

"A couple hours. I got a lot more skills to refine if I'm gonna fight Ozai." Aang stopped, panting.

"You know, there is such a thing as over-training." Katara said. Aang hit the tree one last time, which sent a vibration throughout his body and made him fall down, with all of the leaves off the tree collapsing on him. Katara just gazed down at him, and Sokka, holding his map, and Toph, who was facing the other direction, look out from behind her. Aang came out from under the leaves and walked around Katara in a fighting stance.

"You don't get it, do you? My form is bad, I'm sloppy, and I still don't know any firebending. Not even the basics." Aang said, left eye twitching a little bit after saying that. Katara brought Aang's hand down, with a forced smile on her face. Sokka, lying down, still looked at the map.

"That's okay, Aang. The eclipse will block off firebending anyway. You don't need to know it. Plus, it's a stupid element."

"Okay, well I still have to work on everything else. I better spend the whole day training." Aang said. Aang bowed quickly toward Sokka, then toward Katara, and then rode off on an air scooter. Sokka moved the map up in front of his face to hide behind it. I sighed and got up to practice my forms, in both physical and elemental sense. Not before long, the blue sky changed to a starry night. Aang was walking back from his training, now exhausted. Everyone else was asleep, accept me. Aang rubbed his eyes and yawned before collapsing.

I stayed up, hugging my knees, humming a familiar song under my breath. I couldn't sleep. Because in a few days, I'd see Zuko.

* * *

"Tell me, if you could have anything you want right now, what would it be?" Zuko asked Mai.

"Hm... A big fancy fruit tart, with rose petals on top." Mai said.

"You know, being a prince and all, I _might_ just be able to make that happen." Zuko said. Mai chuckled.

"That would be impressive." Mai said.

"Do you think you could find a fresh fruit tart for the lady, with rose petals on top?" Zuko said to the servants.

"Excellent choice, sir."

"I guess there's some nice perks that come with being royalty." She pushed Zuko to lay down with her. "Though there's annoying stuff, too. Like that all-day war meeting coming up."

"War meeting? What are you talking about?" Zuko asked, sitting up, followed by Mai.

"Azula mentioned something. I-I assumed you were going, too." Mai said.

"I guess I wasn't invited." Zuko said. The two looked away from each other.

* * *

I sat atop a nearby cliff and looked out over the water, frowning in thought. I heard yelling and looked over the side to see Aang frantically running about, waking Sokka, causing Toph to spit on Katara, and making Sokka begin climbing. I rolled my eyes and rolled over onto my back. I closed my eyes and tried reaching out to my mom and dad. I had been developing some sort of trick that made it possible for me to travel into the Spirit World without leaving the mortal plane.

**"Avery? What're you doing here?" Hei-Bai asked. I hugged the panda spirit and let out a huge sigh.**

**"I'm soooo stressed out!" I said. "I needed to get away from the GAang before I bent a rock through their heads."**

**"That bad?" Hei-Bai said. I huffed.**

**"You have _no_ idea." I said. I sprawled on my back and closed my eyes.**

**"Tired?"**

**"I can't get any shut eye with Aang running around like a headless chicken-duck." I said. "I'm taking a nap where I can."**

**"Sleep well." Hei-Bai said, curling up next to me and keeping me warm.**

* * *

"Hello, Zuzu. If you've come for a royal hair-combing, I'm afraid you'll have to wait." Azula said to her agitated brother.

"So I guess there's a big war meeting coming up, huh? And apparently I'm not welcome there."

"What do you mean? Of course you're welcome there!" Azula said.

"Oh, yeah?! I guess that's why no one bothered to tell me about it!"

"Oh, Zuko. Don't be so dramatic. I'm certain Dad wants you there. You probably just weren't invited because it's so _obvious_ you're supposed to be there."

"Well, were you invited?"

"Of course! I'm the princess."

"And I'm the prince!"

"Exactly, so stop acting like a paranoid child! Just go to the meeting." Azula said. Zuko groaned in annoyance.

"Forget it! I'm not going!" Zuko said. He turned and walked out.

* * *

"Zuko, it's just a dumb meeting. Who cares?" Mai said.

"I don't."

"Well, good. You shouldn't. I mean, why would you even _want_ to go? Just think about how things went he last meeting you went to." Mai said. Zuko sighed.

"I know."

"You know what will make you feel better?" Zuko turned his head slightly. "Ordering some servants around. I might be hungry for a whole _tray_ of fruit tarts. And maybe a little palanquin ride around town. Double time."

She turned Zuko's face to look at her, but he quickly looked away, making Mai let go of him. Mai sighed and walked away, giving up on cheering her grumpy boyfriend. But what she didn't know, was that her grumpy boyfriend was thinking about his almost girlfriend.

* * *

I awoke and snapped to the mortal plane at once as I heard Aang screaming. I shot up and slid down the side of the cliff face, rushing over to Aang.

"What happened?" I asked.

"It's the nightmares. They just get worse and worse." Aang said.

"Looks like it's time for another..." He turned around and put his Wang Fire disguise on and voice. "therapy session."

"No. That won't help. Nothing helps. There's only one thing I can do! I'm going to stay awake straight through to the invasion!" Aang said. Aang started shaking upon this, and everyone behind him was shocked, except for Toph, who just smiled. Sokka's Wang Fire disguise fell off him. I only sighed, walking away.

* * *

Mai was waiting for Zuko after the meeting, who was exiting.

"So, how did it go?" She asked. They walked on together.

"When I got to the meeting, everyone welcomed me. My father had saved me a seat. He wanted me next to him. I was _literally_ at his right hand." Zuko said.

"Zuko, that's wonderful! You must be happy." The two stopped at a picture of Ozai. Zuko gazed at it.

"During the meeting, I was the perfect prince. The son my father wanted." He looked down, eyes closed. "But I wasn't me."

* * *

It was nighttime, and Aang was tired. A mist of fog surrounded koala sheep wool. Aang looked at it and began touching it.

"Oh, look. Another hallucination. An imaginary bed made out of clouds."

"Hey! It's real! We spent _hours_ working on it." Toph said. I was in shirshu form, so I could only grunt. "Well, mostly Katara and Avery."

"We made it for you. A good night's sleep will probably take the crazy away. We hope." Sokka said.

"Look! You guys keep telling me that I need to sleep, but I can't! The invasion's tomorrow!" Aang said.

"Aang..."

"No, Katara! There's still _so_ much I haven't learned. I don't need sleep. What I _need_ is practice. Quick, hit me!" He began to wobble.

"I'm not going to hit you."

"You want me to do it?" Toph asked. Sokka nudged her back. Katara approached Aang, placing a hand on his shoulder.

"Listen, you've been training for this since the day we met." She moved behind him, talking over his shoulder. "I've seen your progress. You're smart, brave, and strong enough."

"You really think so?"

"We all do. You can do this. You're ready." Sokka said.

"You're the man, Twinkle Toes!"

"Thanks, guys." He nodded, then yawned and rubbed his eyes. Katara aided him to the bed, where he laid down.

"Avery even agreed to be like a stuffed animal for you." Sokka said. I curled around the young monk and whined deep in my throat, telling him he'd be fine. A little after, he fell asleep. And he smiled.

* * *

_**So, what'd you think? Avery's apparently a good stuffed animal when it comes to panic attacks. **_

_**Disclaimer:...**_

_**So, what'd you think?**_


	31. Chapter 30

Aang shot awake with no warning, scaring me half to death. I yelped, and shifted into a girl, catching myself in almost a push up.

"Sorry, Ave!" Aang said. I smirked, getting up.

"No prob, little dude." I said, stretching.

"Sounds like you slept well." Katara said. I came up beside Aang as he made a sweeping motion with his hand.

"Like a baby moose lion. I'm ready to face the Fire Lord." Aang said.

"So, what's your strategy for taking him down?" Toph smiled and raised her hands to her eyes, her fingers wiggling outward in a mimicry of the Avatar State. "Gonna get your glow on and," She punched the air with a determined expression on her face. "hit him with a little Avatar State action?"

"I can't. When Azula shot me with lightning," He looked down sorrowfully and closed his eyes briefly. "my seventh chakra was locked, cutting off my connection to all the cosmic energy in the universe."

"You know what I just heard?" Toph held up one hand and opened and closed it in a 'gibber-gabber' expression. "Blah, blah, spiritual mumbo jumbo blah, blah, something about space."

"Spiritual stuff is really hard!" Aang said.

"Yeah, that's why Avery's always so grumpy." Sokka said.

"Hey!" I said, crossing my arms. "I'm not _always_ grumpy..."

"Oh, no." The ocean had thick fog visible on the horizon. Katara appeared concerned. "Sokka, do you think the fog will delay the invasion?"

"No." Sokka stood, grinning. Five Water Tribe ships suddenly appeared from amid the mist. "That_ is_ the invasion!"

* * *

On the shoreline Aang, Toph, and I stood by the water. We utilized earthbending to raise rock from beneath the water and form a dock. Four Water Tribe docked. The last Water Tribe ship came into port. Katara and Sokka run over to one of the men.

"You made it, Dad!" Katara said, embracing her father happily. I smiled at the sight.

"Were you able to locate everyone I told you to find?" Sokka asked.

"I did." Two members of the Foggy Swamp Tribe disembarked. "But I'm a little worried, Sokka. Some of these men aren't exactly the 'warrior type'." He turned his head slightly toward the two swamp dwellers. One enthusiastically swung his arm.

"Oooh-whee! This place ain't nothing like a swamp." He pointed accusingly to a rock in the water. "What you reckon that is, Tho? Some sort of Fire Nation exploding trap what eat ya?"

"It's just a rock, Due." Tho said.

"Well, I'll be." He scratched his head.

"Is it just me, or are those fellas a little loose in the leaf-hat?" Their father said. A man walked past, behind the chief and his family, stopping beside Sokka.

"I just wish they would wear pants."

"Pants are an illusion, and so is death." A third swamp dweller said. The dad, Katara, and the man appeared less than reassured; Sokka, on the other hand, grinned widely. I walked over and smiled.

"So, your Katara and Sokka's dad?" I said. The man smiled.

"I am. Who is this?" He asked Sokka.

"Dad, this is Avery. She's from the spirit world." Sokka said. "Avery, this is our dad, Hakoda."

"Pleasure to meet you sir." I said, extending a hand. He shook it with a smirk.

"The pleasure is mine. So, are you a full spirit?"

"No, only half spirit. My father is Chi." I said. "My mom, Lin, is mortal. And I'm close family friends with Hei-Bai."

"That's quite impressive." Hakoda said. "This is Bato."

"I think I remember you..." I said, humming thoughtfully. Then it clicked. "Oh! You were at the abbey!"

"I don't think I remember you..." He said.

"I was a shirshu at the time." I said.

"Ah, now I do."

"Hey, Avery! Come here!" Aang said. I bowed politely to the Water Tribe men and went over to Aang, where he, Katara, and Toph stood by a teen with a goatee and moustache.

"Toph, Avery, this is Haru. When we met him, his town was controlled by the Fire Nation. So he had to hide his earthbending."

"Katara inspired me and my father to take back our village." He turned to Katara who blushed and looked away.

"You helped us find our courage, Katara. Now we're here to help you." A man, probably Haru's father, said. I smiled at the sight.

"It's nice to meet both of you." I said, nodding. Toph turned away. Suddenly, a bomb exploded on a boat, making Sokka, Hakoda, Aang, and I run toward it. A mechanist appeared from below deck, coughing. A boy in a wheelchair left the boat, followed immediately by his father, and Pipsqueak carrying The Duke on his shoulder.

"Was that a new invention?" Sokka asked. The wheelchair boy licked his fingers.

"Yes, but unfortunately the incendiary capabilities of peanut sauce prove to be a failure." Said the mechanist.

"You're making peanut sauce bombs?" I asked.

"They're destructive." said Pipsqueak.

"And delicious." The Duke added. They both licked the sauce that splashed all over their faces. Momo flew over to Pipsqueak and started licking his face, much to his and The Duke's amusement.

"Where you able to complete work on the plans I send you?" Sokka asked.

"Yes, I was, and I think the Fire Nation will be quite surprised." the mechanist said.

"Aang, my dad and I made this for you." the wheelchair boy said, handing a staff to Aang. Aang tapped it on the ground and it opened, revealing a brand new glider.

"A new glider! This is amazing!"

"And as a special feature, I added the snack compartment." he rotated the handle, making the snacks come out.

"Oh... well, I'm sure that will come in handy."

* * *

A very nervous Sokka stood on a podium with his father and Team Avatar, including me.

"Don't worry, you'll do great."

"Good morning everyone. Ahh!" He tripped up stage. "Umm... so, as you know, today, we're invading the Fire Nation! I mean I know you know that because otherwise why else would you be here?" He laughed nervously. "Uh anyway," He dropped scrolls. He unraveled one on a board. "the Fire Lord's palace is here" He pointed at the map, realized it isn't the map, and flipped the chart several times until it was the map. "Uh nope, uh wait, uh wait, uh wait, it's here, and uh, there's an eclipse today and Aang's gonna fight the Fire Lord and the firebenders won't have any fire to use so that's good for us! And... um... I'm sorry let me start at the beginning. Katara and I discovered Aang frozen in an iceberg, now I didn't like Aang at first but grew to love him over time, then we went to the Southern Air Temple where Aang used to live and then we met Suki, who's a Kyoshi warrior. She dressed me like a woman and then she kissed me, and then Aang's friend was a crazy old king and..."

"Wow, when he says the beginning he means the _beginning_ beginning." Katara muttered. Hakoda and I stepped forward to intervene.

"...and then Katara got Haru arrested and then now he's grown a mustache which if you look at him in the front row you can see it..."

"Thank you, Sokka. It's okay why don't you take a break?" Sokka left the stage to sit down, disappointed in himself. Hakoda addressed the crowd. "Let me just clarify a few points for everyone. Today, is the day of black sun, and I want to thank you all for your self-sacrifice, and your courage. There are two steps to the invasion, a naval stage, and then a land stage. To gain sea access to the Fire Nation capital, we need to get past our first major obstacle here," He pointed at the map. "The Great Gates of Azulon. Next, we hit the land, and we hit hard. We must fight past their battlements and secure the plaza tower. Once we do that, it's up to the Royal Palace. At that point, the eclipse will begin."

"Excuse me. The Boulder is confused. Isn't the point to invade _during_ the eclipse, when the firebenders are powerless?" The Boulder said.

"The eclipse only lasts eight minutes, not enough time for the whole invasion." I explained, having run through the plan with Sokka enough times to have it memorized. "And the Royal Palace is heavily guarded by firebenders. So that's where we'll need the eclipse's advantage the most."

"When this is finished, the Avatar will have defeated the Fire Lord. We will have control of the Fire Nation capital, and this war will be over!" Hakoda said. The entire crowd cheered. I stepped up again and cleared my throat.

"Alright, the plan is set. I think we should give credit to the brilliant minds that planned this. Hakoda and Sokka." I said. The crowd cheered again and Hakoda smiled at me. "Okay, okay, calm down. Alright, I'm going to be blunt with you guys. I spent some time in the Fire Nation as a friend to the royals." Multiple people in the crowd gasped. "But, I left to help the Avatar bring down the Fire Lord. I know what it's like in the city. And I have one request. Do not attack the innocent."

"What innocent!" Someone yelled. I frowned.

"I hate to break it to ya, but not everyone there is a monster. Just like people from the other Nations aren't all saints. I was nearly killed multiple times by people from the earth kingdom, and once from the water tribes. Listen, what I'm trying to tell you is that you should look with mercy upon those who deserve peace." I said. I sighed. "I know it's hard to believe me-"

"Yeah, why should we? You're a simple girl!" Someone said. I snarled and gripped the podium.

"I'm _not_ a simple girl! I'm not even a full human! But no one is here is simple! We're all war scared here! " I said. They quieted. "I'm as eager to end the war as you are. But do not harm the innocent civilians. I didn't storm up here to yell at you about equality, or about my life story. I'm just trying to be human, like you."

"Uh, Avery..." Hakoda said as I passed on my way off stage.

"What?"

"Look." He said. I turned to see the crowd in awe. Then they began to cheer.

* * *

"We've been looking everywhere for you. The boats are ready to leave." I said, approaching Sokka as he stared out over the water.

"I messed up Avery." He said.

"What do you mean?" I asked.

"The invasion plan was my moment of truth and I completely flubbed it. I just fell apart." I walked over and put a hand on his shoulder.

"Sokka, that speech wasn't your moment of truth. That was just public speaking, and nobody's really good at that." I said.

"My dad is! He explained the plan perfectly and inspired everyone, like a real leader should. And you're good too!"

"Sokka, your moment of truth isn't gonna be in front of some crude map; it's gonna be out there on the battlefield." I said.

"You seem so confident about everything, how do you know we're gonna win?" Sokka asked, looking me in the eye.

"Because I already failed you guys once at Ba Sing Se. I won't let myself fail again." I said. He smiled and I hugged him. "We're going to be fine."

* * *

I tugged on a different outfit for armor. I knew the colors of the outfit because Katara told me. I tugged on muddy brown pants and a emerald green long sleeved shirt. I pulled on a light green shirt over that and an assortment of leather straps. I then slipped on black boots and black gloves. I nodded and turned as there was a knock on the door.

"Uh, come in?" I said. Sokka entered and smirked.

"Nice get up." He said. I chuckled.

"Nice make up." I said.

"I'll have you know that it's traditional Water Tribe warrior face paint." Sokka said defensively. I smiled.

"Hey, I know. I'm teasing. Anyways, it's really cool actually." I said.

"Do you want it?" He asked. "The face paint I mean."

"I'm color blind, I can't do the cool designs." I said. He rolled his eyes.

"I'll do it." He said. I sat as he sat across from me, pulling out face paint. "Don't worry, I won't go crazy."

"Yessir." I said, closing my eyes. He applied the paint to my eyes, cheeks, and lips before grunting in approval.

"My work is complete." He said. He held up a mirror and I grinned.

"Awesome! Thanks!" I said, hugging him. "Let's go."

* * *

"There they are, the Great Gates of Azulon."

"I don't see any gates." Katara responded to her dad. I sniffed the air and smirked.

"They're there alright."

"Katara, you and the swamp benders whip up a fog cover." Hakoda said.

"We'll sneak by them statues just like we sneak by that Fire Navy blockade!" Tho said. Katara, Due, and other swamp benders waterbent a thick fog cover.

"Keep it up, we're almost through!" Hakoda said. Suddenly a bell rung as a huge net rose out of the water and was set on fire. Sokka and the others were shocked to see patrol boats racing toward them.

"Everyone below deck!" I called. Everyone goes into the boats.

"Let's hope your invention works." Hakoda said to Sokka. I smirked and ushered everyone into the several submarines. I heard footsteps just as I closed the submarine. We traveled beneath the gates. Inside, waterbenders were moving the subs. The mechanist sat at the front. Hakoda, Sokka, Pipsqueak, Bato, and I stood behind him.

"You've really outdone yourself this time, son." Hakoda said, placing a hand on Sokka's shoulder. Sokka beamed. I looked back to The Duke and Toph and smiled slightly. Toph was obviously getting seasick, and The Duke offered her his helmet. She vomited into it. The Duke just placed his hand on Toph's back, trying to comfort her.

"Well, I just came up with the idea. The mechanist did all the work." Sokka said.

"Now don't sell yourself short, my boy. It was your idea to use waterbending to make the subs sink and float, brilliant!" Mechanist opened a scroll, revealing a very crude drawing of a submarine. "Though your original designs were a bit difficult to decipher. Unfortunately there is one problem I couldn't fix. The subs have a limited air supply. Before we land on the beaches, we'll need to resurface."

* * *

The fleet of submarines surfaced on the water. The Duke was dipping his helmet into the water, trying to wash out Toph's vomit. Everyone was stretching as Aang landed on the submarine from Appa.

"So, this is it huh?" Aang said as Sokka, Katara, Toph, and I approached.

"Are you ready for the Fire Nation to know the Avatar is alive?" Sokka asked.

"I'm ready." Aang said. The foursome hugged and I smiled, placing a hand on my hip.

"I hope you kick some serious Fire Lord butt, Twinkle Toes." Toph said.

"Hey, Avery, get in here!" Katara said, pulling me into the group hug. I laughed a bit.

"Everyone listen up." Team Avatar came out of the hug. "The next time we resurface, it'll be on the beaches. So stay alert, and fight smart. Now break times over, back in the subs." Sokka, Toph, Momo, and I left, leaving Katara and Aang standing alone together.

* * *

"Everyone in position. Earthbenders, into your tanks. This is gonna be a rough ride." Hakoda said. "Except Avery, you may be an earthbender but we need you out."

Toph and other earthbenders climbed down a ladder in the sub and got ready. An alarm went off as the subs approached the gate. Several harpoons were launched at the subs, but most missed. One hit, causing a leak which was quickly sealed by a foggy swamp waterbender turning the water to ice, and pulled the attached sub out of the water. Katara quickly responded by piloting Appa out of the water and using waterbending to slice through the chain, dropping the sub back down.

"Ready the torpedo." An ice-covered torpedo was loaded. "Launch!"

Huu launched the torpedo with waterbending. Six torpedoes made holes in the underwater barrier, making it possible for the subs to pass through. Toph, the Boulder, and other earthbenders stood in a metal tank. Water Tribe warriors and foggy swamp waterbenders were in a clump. Sokka and I stood amongst them. Sokka let out a sigh and I placed a hand on his shoulder. The subs rose from the water, being instantly attacked by missiles. The subs opened and several tanks exited while the other soldiers yelled and charged out. The battle commenced as we made our way inland, destroying battlements as we went. Earthbenders used rocks provided by a truck containing many rocks. Appa arrived and Katara jumped off as Fire Nation tanks appeared. An earthbender tank destroyed a battlement by crushing it. Another tank lifted its front up to slam down and crush a Fire Nation tank. More Fire Nation tanks arrived as the army pushed on. The swamp benders used water provided to destroy enemy tanks. I sucked in a breath and shifted into a spirit shirshu, letting out a roar. I reared up and smashed down, sending a Fire Nation tank flying with earthbending. Sokka sent a thumbs up.

"We're a man down. Where in tarnation is Huu?" Tho said. He and Due continued waterbending, launching a tank into the water. Suddenly a large seaweed monster came out of the water and destroyed several enemy tanks, throwing one into a battlement on the ledge above.

"Hey Huu! Where you been?" Due called. The seaweed opened to reveal Huu standing inside.

"Communin' with nature. Takes a while to collect this much seaweed." He closed the seaweed again as he saw a large fireball coming straight toward him. Several Fire Nation soldiers on rhinos appeared shooting fireballs at a group of Water Tribe warriors. They charged, and Sokka quickly disarmed one of the riders and stole his rhino.

"Dad, look out!" Sokka called. Hakoda grunted as he turned and deflected a fireball with his shield. He turned back to disarm a soldier and quickly defeated others, then jumped on the rhino to join Sokka. The rhino bucked them off and I caught them on my back, simultaneously earthbending a cage around the rhino. The vehicle full of rocks for earthbenders was destroyed. Huu, inside the seaweed, destroyed more tanks. An earthbender tank was destroyed by a battlement above. Hakoda and Sokka saw it happen.

"Sokka, we've gotta take out those battlements! It's our only chance."

"I've got an idea."

* * *

Sokka, Hakoda, Katara, and I (back in human form) rode a fully armored Appa. Sokka drew his sword and sliced the end of a missile launcher off. As they flew past another, Hakoda threw two bombs inside the battlement. Two soldiers ran out as it exploded. Katara broke two barrels of water attached to either side of Appa and the water formed around her arms. We flew past another battlement she froze the soldier and launcher inside. Appa landed between two still operational battlements. The four of us jumped off Appa.

"You two take out that battlement. Avery and I have this one. Watch each other's backs. Hakoda and I entered the battlement via rooftop. We fought the two soldiers inside until the launcher shot and exploded. I gasped and pushed Hakoda out of the way. I yelled out in pain.

"Avery!" Hakoda gasped as I fell. He took out the soldiers and picked me up. He exited and Sokka and Katara gasped.

"Avery?" Katara breathed.

"Avery!" Sokka yelled running over.

* * *

Appa landed on the edge of the battlefield. Sokka and Katara helped Hakoda help me onto the ground, and Katara started trying to heal me.

"How does that feel, Avery?" She asked.

"Ah, a little, better. I need, to get back to the troops." I attempted to stand but fell back, crying out in pain.

"You're hurt, badly. You can't fight anymore." Katara said.

"Everyone's counting on me to fight, I can't let them down." I attempted to stand again but couldn't. "Ahh!"

"Can't you heal her any faster?" Sokka asked.

"I'm doing everything I can. Someone needs to stay behind with her." Katara said.

"No, I'm fine." I insisted, but hissed in pain.

"I'll stay with her. But the troops... they need someone to lead them."

"I'll do it." Sokka said. He stood. "I'll lead the invasion force."

"Don't be crazy Sokka."

"Maybe I am a little crazy, but the eclipse is about to start and we need to be up that volcano by the time it does." Sokka said.

"You can do this. I'm proud of you son." Hakoda said.

"I still think you're crazy, but I'm proud of you too." Katara said, standing and mounting Appa. I smiled and gripped Sokka's hand before nodding.

"Kick ass for me." I said. He smirked and put his helmet on. He boarded Appa.

"Yip yip."

* * *

_**Oh no, poor Avery! But you totally know she's going after them, right? Bwahaha!**_

_**Disclaimer:...**_


	32. Chapter 31

"Avery! You're on your feet again." Sokka said, rising from his spot.

"Yup!" I chirped, placing my hands on my hips with a grin. "Turns out your dad is more busted than me though. He's in no shape to fight."

"But maybe there's some way I can help?"

"Everything's going smoothly and the eclipse hasn't even kicked in yet." Sokka said. He grinned at me. "Good to have you in shape."

"Let's hope our luck holds out." Hakoda noticed Katara had moved away. "Katara, you seem distracted. Is something wrong?"

"Yeah. Is that... is that Aang?" She said quizzically.

"What?" Sokka said. Turns out it was Aang, riding in on his glider, dodging several fireballs. He landed in front of our group. "Please tell me you're here because the Fire Lord turned out to be a big wimp and you didn't even need the eclipse to take him down."

"He wasn't home. No one was. The entire palace city is abandoned." Aang said.

"They knew..." Sokka said. Aang rubbed his fingers along the ground idly.

"It's over. The Fire Lord is probably long-gone; far away on some remote island where he'll be safe during the eclipse." Aang said.

"No." I said, shaking my head.

"My instincts tell me he wouldn't go too far. He would have a secret bunker; somewhere he could go and be safe during the siege but still be close enough to lead his nation."

"If it's an underground secret bunker we're looking for, Avery and I are just the girls to find it." Toph said.

"The mechanist gave me this timing device. It looks like we've got about ten minutes until the full eclipse. Ten minutes to find the Fire Lord." Sokka said.

"We can still do this. We can still win the day." Aang said.

"Wait! If they knew we were coming it could all be a trap. Maybe we should use the time we have left to make sure we all get out of here safely."

"No Katara. Everyone who's here today came prepared to risk everything for this mission. They know what's at stake. If there's still a chance and there's still hope, I think they would want Aang to go for it." Hakoda spoke up.

"What do you think? You're the one that has to face the Fire Lord. Whatever you decide, I'm with you." Sokka said. I placed a hand on his shoulder. "We all are."

"I've gotta try." Aang said.

* * *

Aang, Toph, Sokka, and I flew on Appa to the Caldera Volcano in the Fire Nation. Appa landed on the side as we jumped off.

"Do you feel anything down there?" Aang asked us.

"Yep. There are natural tunnels criss-crossing through the inside of the volcano." Toph said. My nose itched.

"They passed through here. The royals are inside."

"Anything else? Is there a structure somewhere?" Sokka asked.

"There is something big, dense and made of metal deep in the heart of the volcano."

"Sounds like a secret bunker to me." Sokka said. Toph and I earthbent a hole in the volcano, blowing up a cloud of dust. Sokka followed us into the tunnel.

"Stay safe. We'll be back soon." Aang said to Appa and Momo before he entered the tunnel into the dark cavern. Toph leaned over and surveyed the area using seismic sense.

"This way!" I said, nose picking up the scent of magma.

"That one's a dead end!"

"What would we do without you guys?" Sokka said.

"Perish in burning hot magma." I said.

"Yeah, pretty much." He agreed. We arrived at a chamber where magma erupted from several spouts in the ground.

"The tunnel continues on the other side and it leads right to the bunker." Toph said.

"We'll have to be fast, but careful." Sokka said. He began walking past only for a geyser of magma to erupt, nearly striking him. Aang used airbending to cool and solidify the gush.

"How is that careful?" I yelled at him.

"I was wrong. We need to be fast, careful and lucky." Sokka said. The four of us leapt and ran our way through the chamber, narrowly avoiding magma spouts. We arrived to a rock ledge, completely surrounded by molten lava.

"There's no floor. It's just a river of lava." Sokka said.

"Climb aboard and hold on tight." Aang said, spinning his staff open. Sokka and Toph, screaming in fear, clung to Aang's glider for their life as they rode swiftly over the river of lava. They reached the other side safely.

"Avery!" Sokka called. I sucked in a breath.

"Give me a second." I said. I sucked in a breath before reaching to the Spirit World. Chi, in shirshu form, appeared on the lava, unaffected by the heat. I leapt onto his back and he carried me across. I got off and nuzzled him. "Thanks dad."

"**Of course.**" He said. He vanished and I nodded to the trio. We approached a large metal, dome-like structure with a huge door.

"That's some door!" Sokka said. Toph walked over to the door and banged the metal with her fist.

"Not a problem." she said. She used metalbending, jamming into the door with her elbows, creating cracks in the metal. She stepped back several feet, kissed her fingertips and split the door wide open. Stepping inside the interior, she pointed in a direction.

"I am so glad we added you to the group!" Sokka said.

* * *

Aang, Toph, Sokka, and I ran down the tunnels. Qin was coming down the same hallway, whistling.

"Qin?" I said. He froze. The team, upon seeing him, immediately cornered him, prepared to attack.

"The Fire Lord's chamber is that way, down the hall, to the left, and up the stairs, you can't miss it!" He said. "Oh, nice seeing you again, Avery."

"Thanks!" Aang said, going from suspicious to friendly. The four of us continued on our way to find the Fire Lord, running. Sokka pulled out his timing device.

"Only thirty seconds until the total eclipse." Sokka announced. I hesitated as we reached the doors, nose twitching.

"I'm ready. I'm ready to face the Fire Lord." Aang said, determined.

"Wai-" Aang blasted the doors open with airbending and I sighed. "He isn't in there."

"So, you are alive after all. I had a hunch that you survived. But it doesn't matter. I've known about the invasion for months." Azula said.

"I'm going ahead." I said, but they were already attacking. I turned and tried picking up Ozai's scent. I was able to get a lock on his scent, a malicious red and gold mix. I faltered as I picked up on another scent.

Zuko's.

* * *

_**Hehehehe. I'll update as soon as possible, don't worry.**_

_**Disclaimer:...**_

_**What'd you think? Who will see who first? And how will **_**Ozai**_** react?**_


	33. Chapter 32

"First of all, in Ba Sing Se, it was Azula who took down the Avatar, not me." I heard Zuko say. I was crouched inside the room, having snuck in while the guards were leaving. I was hiding behind a tapestry of sorts.

"Why would she lie to me about that?"

"Because the Avatar's not dead. He survived." Zuko said.

"What?" Ozai exclaimed, shocked and horrified.

"In fact, he's probably leading this invasion. He could be on his way here right now."

"Get out! Get out of my sight if you know what's good for you!" Ozai yelled, standing and pointing at the door.

"That's another thing. I'm not taking orders from you anymore." Zuko said.

"You will obey me, or this defiant breath will be your last!"

"Think again. I am going to speak my mind, and you are going to listen." Zuko said, pulling out his swords. Ozai sat down, dismayed at the turn of events.

"You go Zuko." I whispered under my breath.

"For so long, all I wanted was for you to love me, to accept me. I thought it was my honor I wanted, but really, I was just trying to please you. You, my father, who banished me just for talking out of turn." He pointed a broadsword at his father. "My father, who challenged me, a thirteen-year-old boy, to an Agni Kai. How could you possibly justify a duel with a child?"

"It was to teach you respect!" Ozai yelled.

"It was cruel! And it was wrong."

"Then you have learned nothing!"

"No, I've learned everything! And I've had to learn it on my own! Growing up, we were taught that the Fire Nation was the greatest civilization in history. And somehow, the War was our way of sharing our greatness with the rest of the world. What an amazing lie that was. The people of the world are terrified by the Fire Nation. They don't see our greatness. They hate us! And we deserve it! We've created an era of fear in the world. And if we don't want the world to destroy itself, we need to replace it with an era of peace and kindness." Zuko said. I beamed. He had finally learned. Ozai only laughed.

"Your uncle has gotten to you, hasn't he?" Ozai sneered.

"Yes." Zuko smiled proudly. "He has."

Ozai only grew more furious.

"After I leave here today, I'm gonna free Uncle Iroh from his prison and I'm gonna beg for his forgiveness. He's the one who has been a real father to me." Zuko said. I smiled.

"Oh, that's just beautiful. And maybe he can pass down to you the ways of tea and failure." Ozai said.

"But I've come to an even more important decision. I'm gonna join the Avatar and I'm going to help him defeat you." He said. My jaw dropped.

"Really? Since you're a full-blown traitor now and you want me gone, why wait? I'm powerless. You've got your swords. Why don't you just do it now?" Ozai asked.

"Because I know my own destiny. Taking you down is the Avatar's destiny." Zuko put his swords away. "Goodbye."

"Coward! You think you're brave enough to face me, but you'll only do it during the eclipse. If you have any real courage, you'll stick around until the sun comes out. Don't you want to know what happened to your mother?" Ozai yelled, now on his feet. My eyes widened. Zuko abruptly stopped and turned to face his father. Ozai smiled.

"What happened that night?"

"My father, Fire Lord Azulon, had commanded me to do the unthinkable to you, my own son, and I was going to do it. Your mother found out and swore she would protect you at any cost. She knew I wanted the throne and she proposed a plan, a plan in which I would become Fire Lord and your life would be spared. Your mother did vicious, treasonous things that night. She knew the consequences and accepted them. For her treason, she was banished."

"Perhaps. Now I realize that banishment is far too merciful a penalty for treason." Ozai closed his eyes, and I knew the solar eclipse was beginning to end. "Your penalty will be far steeper."

Ozai opened his eyes and, in split seconds, generated lightning, firing the bolt at Zuko. Zuko slid back several feet from the impact of the bolt, yet managed to redirect it. He fired the lightning blast near his father, sending the Fire Lord slamming into the back wall. Ozai snarled and attacked Zuko again, but I bent a wall of rock in the way, before slamming a boulder at him. I pinned him to the wall via earthbending and then stepped from the shadows. Zuko was already gone.

"Who are you?" He asked.

"The name's Avery." I said. I then sprinted out, right after Zuko. His dad went apeshit.

"Zuko!" I called quietly. He froze and turned, surprised.

"Avery?"

"How've ya been? Don't stop running." I added.

"Fine, I guess."

"Things been good with Mai?"

"Uh..."

"I'm kidding. I know the jist of what happened. My parents are a bit creepy." I said. "So, you're really joining the avatar?"

"Planning to, yeah." He said. I nodded. "You did?"

"Of course. They're pretty cool. Really loud though. Can't get a second of shut eye." I laughed briefly. "I suggest not joining right at this second. Sokka might stab you."

"Uh, right."

"Well, I gotta go join up with the GAang." I paused, grabbing Zuko's wrist to stop him for a second. I leaned up and kissed him briefly before pulling back, winking, and running away.

* * *

"Avery, where have you been?" Sokka asked once we were in the saddle.

"I told you I was going to find Ozai, but did you listen? Nope. You fought his psychotic daughter. Zuko did hit Ozai with lightning though, so I guess something good did come from this." I said. Sokka quirked an eyebrow.

"Zuko hit his dad with lightning?"

"Yeah. Ozai tried zapping Zuko, but he redirected it at his dad. Ozai doesn't like it when he finds out about the Avatar is alive." I said.

"Oh..." Appa groaned as he flew in. Aang looked at the airships. Sokka and Aang looked very dismayed at the turn of events. Katara ran up to Appa as he landed. Aang looked at her with a saddened look on his face. Sokka dismounted, followed by Toph, then me.

"It was all a trap! Azula knew we were coming and she's plotted out every move! We've just got to get to the beach as fast as we can. If we can make it to the submarines, maybe we can get away safely."

"They've got air power, but so do I!" Aang opened his glider. "I'm gonna do what I can to slow them down." He tossed his glider into the air and took off, Momo following close behind.

"Appa, you and I can help too." Katara said, mounting Appa and following Aang.

"Everyone, let's get back to the subs!" Sokka said. They didn't hear. I sighed, cleared my throat.

"Hey! Everyone, back to the subs!" I screamed. They began running. Sokka smirked and we began sprinting. The team began navigating the way down the sides of the volcano. A hatch at the bottom opened on one of the airships.

"Try and find cover! I think we're about to see some bombs!" Sokka yelled. Toph and I bent a ceiling of earth overhead. They released bombs. The bombs rained down and detonated. One bomb landed very near the earth ceiling, causing it to start crumbling. Toph propped it up by bending two earth columns to support it. It was still smaller than earlier, leaving Sokka exposed. I grabbed him and bent a rock over us. The airships passed over. The team ran out from under the ceiling.

"Why aren't they turning around to attack us again?" Katara asked.

"They're heading for the beach... They're gonna destroy the submarines!" I said.

"How are we all going to escape?" Sokka asked hopelessly.

"We're not." Hakoda said.

"Then our only choice is to stand and fight. We have the Avatar, we could still win." Sokka said, determined.

"Yes, with the Avatar we could still win. On another day. You kids have to leave. You have to escape on Appa together." Hakoda said.

"What? We can't leave you behind! We won't leave anyone behind!" Katara said, grabbing her father.

"You're our only chance in the long run. You, Sokka, and Avery have to go with Aang somewhere safe. It's the only way to keep hope alive." Hakoda said.

"The youngest of our group should go with you. The adults will stay behind and surrender. We'll be prisoners, but we'll all survive this battle." Bato said.

"I've got some experience with the Fire Nation prisons. It's not going to be easy, but we'll get by." Tyro said.

"I'll stay with you. I've had experience in prison." I said.

"Avery," Hakoda placed a hand on my shoulder with a fatherly look. "I need you to go with Sokka. Keep him safe and in line for me."

"But..."

"Please?" Hakoda said. I sighed and hugged the man, already feeling a strong bond to the man.

"Fine, but only because you asked." I said, wiping at my face.

"They're at the beach already!" Sokka said in alarm. We watched. Thu, Due, and Huu attempted to deflect the bombs with waterbending; they managed to destroy some. The swamp monster grabbed several more and tossed them away. One bomb, however, landed inside the seaweed figure and detonated. Steaming piles of seaweed landed onto the ground. Huu, along with Thu and Due, emerged from the mess, defeated. Five bombs were released onto each of the submarines, destroying all five of them. The team looked on in disappointment. Sokka closed his eyes resentfully. The Mechanise was an earth column along with Toph and helped his son mount Appa.

"Bye, son." he hugged Teo.

"Bye, Dad. I'm really proud of you." Teo said.

"I'll miss you, Pipsqueak." The Duke said to Pipsqueak.

"Take care, The Duke." Pipsqueak replied, helping The Duke into Appa's saddled. I shook Pipsqueaks hand.

"This is very brave of you." I said. He smiled sadly.

"Keep The Duke safe for me." He said.

"Of course." I promised.

"We'll be back for you, Dad." Haru said to Tyro, who smirked.

"If we don't escape on our own first." Tyro said. They bowed to each other and Haru earthbent himself up. I turned to see Hakoda with Sokka and Katara, a hand on each of their shoulders.

"We lost today, but we've never been this close." He knelt down to face his two children. "We tasted victory, and that counts for something."

"We'll miss you, Dad." Katara said as the two hugged him.

"Bye, Dad. We won't be apart for too long this time. I promise." Sokka said. Hakoda closed his eyes. Aang, sitting on Appa's head, had tears streaming down his face. Katara approached him, who had broken away from her dad and brother, put an arm around his shoulders and smiled at him proudly. Aang wiped away his tears and rose to face the invasion force.

"Thank you all for being so brave and so strong. I'm gonna make this up to you."

"We all are." I added. I grabbed Sokka and pulled him into the saddle. Our team turned to leave on Appa. Appa moaned and took off as the team looked back sadly at those remaining.

"Where can we go?" I asked.

"I know just the place for us to go where we'll be safe for a while. The Western Air Temple!"

* * *

_**Tada! I told you I'd update soon. Haha, Avery kissed Zuko.**_

_**Disclaimer:...**_

_**So, what'd you think?**_


	34. Chapter 33

"This is humiliating." Katara said. I quirked an eyebrow.

"You mean getting thoroughly spanked by the Fire Nation or having to walk all the way to the Western Air Temple?"

"Both." She replied to her brother.

"Sorry guys, but Appa gets tired carrying all these people." Aang said, petting Appa's head.

"I wonder how the rest of the troops are." Teo said.

"They're probably on their way to a prison. Seems like my dad just got out and now he's going back in." Haru replied.

"I miss Pipsqueak." The Duke said.

"I miss not having blisters on my feet." Sokka said.

"Hey, I offered you a ride." I said.

"When?"

"A half hour ago when you first started complaining." I snapped.

"Can I?" The Duke asked. I knelt and he climbed onto my back. I boosted him onto my shoulder where he gripped my head. I held his knees and stood, starting to walk again.

"Can I have a piggy back ride?" Sokka asked.

"After all that whining? You wish." I said. The Duke laughed.

"Hey, we're here! I can feel it!" Toph said.

"Uhhh... I think your feet need their eyes checked." Katara said. There was a cliff in front of us.

"No, she's right. We are here!" Aang said.

"Wow... it's amazing!" Toph said.

* * *

Appa flew us in and I dismounted first, helping Teo and The Duke down.

"It's so different from the Northern Air Temple. I wonder if there are any secret rooms." Teo asked. Haru hopped down next to him with a bright smile.

"Let's go check it out!" Haru said. Teo and The Duke followed Haru. Aang tried to, but was cut off by Katara.

"You guys go. I think we need to talk about some things."

"I'll race you, Duke!" Teo said.

"I told you, it's _The_ Duke!" The Duke said. The three took off into the temple.

"Why can't I go?" Aang asked.

"We need to decide what we're gonna do now, and since you're the Avatar, maybe you should be a part of this." Katara said.

"Fair enough. So, what's the new plan?"

"Well, if you ask me, the new plan is the old plan! You just need to master all four elements and confront the Fire Lord before the comet comes."

"Oh, yeah. That's great, no problem. I'll just do that." Aang said sarcastically.

"Aang, no one said it's going to be easy." Katara said.

"Well, it's not even gonna be possible! Where am I supposed to get a firebending teacher?"

"We could look for Jeong Jeong!"

"Yeah... right. Like we'll ever run into Jeong Jeong again."

"Who's... oh, never mind. If it's important I'll find out." Toph said.

"I know that feeling." I said, lounging against a rock.

"Oh well, guess we can't come up with anybody. Why don't we just take a nice tour around the temple?" Aang said, before getting up and storming off.

"What's up with him?" Toph asked. I shrugged. My nose itched as I picked up a slight scent of amber.

"There's gotta be someone who can teach him firebending." Sokka said. I stood.

"I'm going to explore. See ya."

* * *

"Hello... Zuko here, but I guess you probably already know me, sort of. Uhhh... so, the thing is I have a lot of firebending experience, and I'm considered to be pretty good at it. Well, you've seen it, you know, when I was attacking you. Uhhh...yeah, I guess I should apologize for that. But anyway, I'm good now. I mean, I thought I was good before, but I realize I was bad, but anyway, I think it's time I joined your group and taught the Avatar firebending." A badgerfrog croaked at him. "Well, what's your answer?" The badgerfrog hopped on his head then hopped away. "Yeah... that's what I'd say, too. How am I supposed to convince these people that I'm on their side? What would Uncle do?"

"Give some sort of advice." I muttered to myself. He imitated Iroh.

"Zuko, you have to look within yourself to save yourself from your other self. Only then will your true self, reveal itself." In his normal voice: "Even when I'm talking for him I can't figure out what he means. What would Azula do?" He imitated Azula. "Listen, Avatar, I can join your group, or I can do something unspeakably horrible to you and your friends! Your choice!" In his normal voice: "I guess I'm just not that good at impersonations."

"I dunno, you're pretty good." I said, stepping out from behind the tree I was hiding behind. Zuko yelled in surprise before falling onto his butt. I laughed.

"Geez, Zuko. You're too easy." I said, extending a hand. He took it, and I pulled him to his feet.

"So, you're going to confront them soon?"

"Yeah. What did you think of the speech then?" Zuko said. I shrugged.

"I react differently than they do. Speaking of which, they're calling for me right now." I said. I turned and waved before walking away. "Or you could come now!"

* * *

"Aang, can we talk about you learning firebending now?" Katara called.

"What? The wind is too loud in my ears! Check out this loop!" Aang proceeded to do a loop.

"Aang, I think we should be making some plans about our future!"

"Okay, we can do that while I show you the giant Pai Sho table! Oh, you're gonna love the all-day echo chamber!" Aang agreed, landing.

"I think that'll have to wait." I said. They looked to me, and I pointed. Appa shifted to reveal Zuko. He waved.

"Hello... Zuko here." He said. The GAang prepared to attack. "Hey, I heard you guys flying around down there, so, I just thought I'd wait for you here." Appa growled at him then licked him twice; Aang became surprised. "I know you must be surprised to see me here."

"Not really, since you've followed us all over the world." Sokka remarked.

"Right. Well, uhhh... anyway... what I wanted to tell you about is that I've changed, and I, uhhh, I'm good now, and well I think I should join your group, oh, and I can teach firebending to you." The GAang expresses shock. "See, I, uhhh..."

"You want to _what_ now?" Toph said.

"You can't possibly think that any of us would trust you, can you? I mean, how stupid do you think we are?" Katara exclaimed.

"Yeah, all you've ever done is hunt us down and try to capture Aang!" Sokka said.

"I've done some good things! I mean, I could have stolen your bison in Ba Sing Se, but I set him free. That's something!" Appa licked him again.

"Appa does seem to like him." Toph said.

"He probably just covered himself in honey or something so that Appa would lick him. I'm not buying it." Sokka said. I shrugged.

"I dunno, you could lick him." I said. Sokka sent me a disgusted look and I snickered.

"I can understand why you wouldn't trust me, and I know I've made some mistakes in the past." Zuko said.

"Like when you attacked our village?"

"Or when you stole my mother's necklace and used it to track us down and capture us with that crazy beast?" Katara said.

"Hey!" I said. "That was me ya asshole!"

"Sorry, I forgot." She said.

"Look, I admit I've some awful things. I was wrong to try to capture you, and I'm sorry that I attacked the Water Tribe. And I never should have sent that Fire Nation assassin after you. I'm going to try and stop-"

"Wait, you sent Combustion Man after us?" I said in unison with Sokka.

"Well, that's not his name, but-"

"Ohhh, sorry. I didn't mean to insult your friend!" Sokka said sarcastically.

"He's not my friend!"

"That guy locked me and Katara in jail and tried to blow us all up!" Toph yelled.

"Why aren't you saying anything? You once said you thought we could be friends. You know I have good in me." Zuko said. Aang looked to Sokka, who shook his head.

"There's no way we can trust you after everything you've done. We'll never let you join us." Aang said.

"You need to get out of here." Katara said.

"I'm trying to explain that I'm not that person anymore!"

"Either you leave, or we attack."

"If you won't accept me as a friend, then maybe you'll take me as a prisoner." Zuko knelt down, holding out his wrists.

"No, we won't!" Katara yelled. She blasted water at him. "Get out of here, and don't come back! And if we ever see you again, well, we'd better not see you again!"

Zuko got up and walked away.

"Why would he try to fool us like that?" Katara said.

"Obviously he wants to lead us into some kind of trap." Sokka said.

"This is just like when we were in prison together at Ba Sing Se. He starts talking about his mother and making it seem like he's an actual human being with feelings."

"He wants you to trust and feel sorry for him so you let your guard down, then he strikes."

"The thing is, it worked. I did feel sorry for him. I felt like he was really confused and hurt, but obviously, when the time came he made his choice, and we paid the price. We can't trust him."

"I kind of have a confession to make. Remember when you two were sick and I got captured by Zhao?" Aang said.

"And you made us suck on frozen frogs? How could I forget? I had a wart on the flap that hangs down from the back of my throat for a month!" Sokka said.

"Sokka, I looked at it, and I told you, there was nothing there!"

"I could feel it! It's my throatal flap!" Sokka insisted his sister.

"Anyway, when Zhao had me chained up, it was Zuko who came in and got me out. He risked his life to save me."

"No way! I'm sure he only did it so he could capture you himself!" Katara said.

"Yeah, face it Aang, you're nothing but a big prize to him." Sokka said.

"You're probably right."

"And what was all that crazy stuff about setting Appa free? What a liar!"

"He wasn't lying!" I yelled. They looked to me in surprise before slipping back to be assholes.

"Oh, hooray! In a lifetime of evil, at least he didn't add animal cruelty to the list." Katara said sarcastically.

"I'm just saying that, considering his messed-up family and how he was raised, he could have turned out a lot worse." Toph said.

"You're right, Toph! Let's go find him and give him a medal. The 'not as much of a jerk as you could have been' award!" Katara snapped.

"All I know is that while he was talking to us, he was sincere. Maybe you're all just letting your hurt feelings keep you from thinking clearly." Toph said calmly.

"Easy for you to say! You weren't there when he had us attacked by pirates!"

"Or when he burned down Kyoshi Island!"

"Or when he tried to capture me at the Fire Temple!"

"Why would you even try to defend him?" Katara asked angrily. Toph snapped.

"Because Katara, you're all ignoring one crucial fact: Aang needs a firebending teacher! We can't think of a single person in the world to do the job! Now one shows up on a silver platter, and you won't even think about it?" She stamped her feet on the ground to a point where the ground shook slightly.

"I'm_ not _having Zuko as my teacher!" Aang said.

"You're darn right you're not, buddy." Sokka said.

"Well, I guess that settles that."

"Ergh! I'm beginning to wonder who are really the blind ones around here!" Toph yelled. She walked away.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Sokka said.

"It means, you three are huge assholes." I said.

"Hey!" Aang said.

"It's true! Sure, Zuko has done some pretty stupid things, and has made some really bad decisions, but he's still a good person with a golden heart!" I said.

"Oh really?" Katara sneered. "How can you tell? Spiritual magic?"

"Everyone but Katara leave. Right now." I said. "We need to talk."

"But-"

"Go." Katara said. Once Sokka and Aang left, I snapped.

"You thick headed moron! Have you ever considered that you're not the only one affected by the war? That loved ones have been taken away from other people? That other people besides you're effing mom have died? Have you ever wondered how we got our scars? Zuko was burned by his own father. I was abandoned and abused. Azula's parents never loved her. Toph's parents don't understand. Sokka became a man when he was only a toddler. Aang is only one kid, expected to save the world. He's only twelve years old."

"Well I'm only fourte-"

"I don't care! I'm sixteen, I should be with my family celebrating! Not hunting down a lunatic. Katara, I understand that you've taken on a motherly role. I get it, you feel responsible for the GAang." Katara looked surprised. "But if you're going to take that seriously, you need to learn to forgive."

"But I forgave you."

"I know you did. But that isn't my point. You need to understand and you need to get off your high-horse. I mean, you're being such a huge ass. You weren't the only one betrayed in Ba Sing Se."

"What do you mean?"

"Zuko betrayed me too. He betrayed me multiple times, broke multiple promises, and made multiple mistakes. What I'm trying to say is, if you're going to take your motherly role seriously, you need to learn to forgive."

"But why? Why did you forgive him?"

"Because he was my best friend. I love him." I admitted. She looked surprised. "Yeah, I said it. I love Zuko, and you have to deal with it."

"How could you love _him_."

"Because he's a good person, Katara."

"How do you know that? How do you know he won't stab you in the back?"

"Uh, guys? Are you two alright?" I snapped my head to look at Sokka and Aang. "Are you two still talking about the jerk bender?"

"Katara was just asking me how I know a good person from a bad person." I said. I looked Katara in the eye. "It's a matter of scent. If the color is good, so is the person. If the color is bad, then the person is bad. And right now, your scents make me _sick_."

* * *

"Has anyone seen Toph?" Katara asked as we sat for breakfast. I was sitting on the fountain rim, ignoring the the main trio, only reacting to Toph, Teo, The Duke, and Haru when they tried interacting with me.

"I haven't seen her since she stormed off yesterday." Sokka said.

"Maybe she's just exploring the air temple. There are some pretty fun spots to practice earthbending."

"I don't think so..." I said.

"I think we should go look for her." Katara said. "What do you think, Avery?"

"Let her have fun with her rocks. I'm in no rush to have her yelling at us again." Sokka said. I ignored both of them.

"We can go check for her!" The Duke said.

"Yeah! I want to ride that tunnel down to the Hall of Statues again. It will work a lot better now that I fixed my brakes." Teo said. I smiled. Haru, The Duke, and Teo exited. There was a large rumble. Toph fell down the pile of rock that she created from a wall.

"Toph! What happened?" I asked, getting up and running over.

"My feet got burned!" Toph said.

"Oh no, what happened?"

"I just told you, my feet got burned!"

"I meant, how?" Katara asked.

"Well, I kind of went to see Zuko last night." Toph said.

"You what?" Aang gasped.

"Zuko?" Katara asked.

"Uhhh...!" Sokka said. _Wow, that was deep Sokka. Tell us how you really feel._

"I thought he could be helpful to us." Katara began to try and heal her feet. "And if I talked to him, maybe we could work something out."

"So he attacked you?"

"Well, he did, and he didn't. It was an accident." Toph said.

"But he did firebend at you?" Sokka repeated.

"Yes." Toph sighed.

"See? You trusted Zuko, and you got burned. Literally!" I slapped Sokka upside the head.

"It's gonna take awhile for your feet to get better." She stopped healing. "I wish I could have worked on them sooner."

"Yeah, me too." Toph said.

"Zuko's clearly too dangerous to be left alone. We're gonna have to go after him." Sokka said.

"I hate to go looking for a fight, but you're right. After what he did to Toph, I don't think we have a choice." Aang said. I rolled my eyes.

"He's crafty, but we'll find a way to capture him."

"Maybe just invite him back here." Aang and Sokka went to pick her up, but I shooed them and grabbed her myself. "He's already offered himself up as a prisoner once."

"Yeah, get him to come back and say he'll be our prisoner, then we'll jump him and _really_ make him our prisoner. He'll never suspect it!" Sokka said.

"You are a master of surprise, Sokka..." I said sarcastically. I set her on the fountain edge, dipping her feet into the water. She sighed in relief.

"Ahhh, that's the stuff. Now I know how the rest of you guys feel. Not being able to see with your feet stinks." I sat next to her, putting a hand on her shoulder.

Suddenly, a wild explosion hit the ground, shaking us. I picked up Toph and Team Avatar made to run away before I froze. Zuko was facing Combustion Man.

"Stop! I don't want you hunting the Avatar anymore!" Zuko moved to stand in front of him. "The mission is off. I'm ordering you to stop."

"No, Zuko! Get away from him!" I yelled. Combustion Man shoved said teen out of the way and fired again.

"If you keep attacking, I won't pay you!" Zuko attempted to firebend at him, but Combustion Man grabbed him. "All right, I'll pay you double to stop!"

Zuko kicked Combustion Man as he fired, causing him to miss again. He then took aim on Zuko. Zuko created a firewall to stop the attack but was pushed off the ledge. I screamed.

"Zuko!" Aang fired a tornado, which the assassin jumped over and fired again. Aang narrowly avoided the blast by jumping back. Combustion man fell and landed on a ledge as he fired and missed again. Katara bent water from the fountain and turned it into ice spikes, but Combustion Man appears unaffected. The assassin looked up and realized we had 'disappeared' but continued firing. We hid behind a wall, out of sight.

"He's going to blast this whole place right off the cliff side!" Toph said, grip tightening on my arm. Katara looked out only to duck back behind the wall.

"I can't step out to waterbend at him without being blown up and I can't get a good enough angle on him from down here." She said.

"I know how to get an angle on him!" He took out his boomerang.

"Sokka, you're a genius." I said. After another blast, he snuck his head out, but had to hide from another shot. He projected Combustion Man's angle with his boomerang.

"All right buddy, don't fail me now!" And he threw his boomerang. The boomerang hit the assassin in the head where his third eye tattoo was, causing him to hit the ground, before it returned back. "Yeah, boomerang!" he jumped up and grabbed it, but Combustion Man got up, albeit clearly shaken. "Awww, boomerang..."

As our team ran back to their hiding spot, Combustion Man geared up again, but was dizzy and couldn't aim properly. His next shot failed to escape, causing an explosion around him resulting in the building he stood on getting destroyed. My jaw dropped and my eyebrows shot into my hairline. The GAang looked on, shocked. Haru, Teo, and The Duke all appeared from behind a pillar, also shocked.

"He's gone..." Sokka said. The GAang cheered, but I was felt empty. Zuko... he sacrificed himself trying to protect us... I looked up as I heard footsteps and smelt a familiar scent.

"Zuko!" I gasped, rushing forward. I gripped onto him in a hug. "I thought you were dead."

"Payback?" He said. I laughed into his shoulder.

"I can't believe I'm saying this, but... thanks, Zuko." Aang said.

"Hey, what about me? I did the boomerang thing." Sokka said.

"Listen, I know I didn't explain myself very well yesterday, I've been through a lot in the last few years and it's been hard. But I'm realizing that I had to go through all those things to learn the truth. I thought I had lost my honor, and that somehow, my father could return it to me. But I know now that no one can give you your honor. It's something you earn for yourself, by choosing to do what's right. All I want to do now is play my part in ending this war, and I know my destiny is to help you restore balance to the world. I'm sorry for what I did to you." He let go of my waist to bow to Toph. "It was an accident. Fire can be dangerous and wild, so as a firebender, I need to be more careful and control my bending, so I don't hurt people unintentionally."

"I think you are supposed to be my firebending teacher. When I first tried to learn firebending, I burned Katara, and after that, I never wanted to firebend again. But now I know you understand how easy it is to hurt the people you love. I'd like you to teach me." Aang bowed before Zuko. Zuko bowed.

"Thank you. I'm so happy you've accepted me into your group."

"Not so fast. I still have to ask my friends if it's okay with them. Toph, you're the one that Zuko burned. What do you think?"

"Go ahead and let him join." She pounded her fist into her palm jokingly. "It'll give me plenty of time to get back at him for burning my feet."

"Sokka?"

"Hey, all I want is to defeat the Fire Lord. If you think this is the way to do it, then, I'm all for it."

"Katara?" Aang asked. She glared at Zuko for a moment and Zuko started to become nervous.

"I'll go along with whatever you think is right." Aang smiled.

"I won't let you down! I promise!" Zuko said.

* * *

"So, here you go, home sweet home, I guess, you know, for now. Unpack? Lunch, soon? Uhhh... welcome aboard?" Sokka said. Zuko glanced back and smiled at him. "Yeah."

"So, you're officially a GAang member. How do you feel?" I joked. Zuko looked to me with a smile.

"Honored." He said. We laughed. Zuko pulled out a painting of Iroh and set it down. He smiled, obviously remembering something about his Uncle. Zuko suddenly noticed a clearly disgruntled Katara at the door.

"Avery, could you give us a moment?" Katara said. I hesitated before heading for the door.

"Don't kill each other." I said. I pressed my back to the wall outside the room and listened in.

"You might have everyone else here buying your... transformation, but you and I both know you've struggled with doing the right thing in the past. So let me tell you something, right now. You make one step backward, one slip-up, give me one reason to think you might hurt Aang, and you won't have to worry about your destiny anymore. Because I'll make sure your destiny ends... right then and there. Permanently." Katara threatened. She then walked away and stormed past me. I grabbed her wrist, stopping her from getting too far. I narrowed my eyes.

"Same goes for you, Katara. Hurt him, I end you." I said. I then let her go and went back into Zuko's room, closing the door. "You alright?"

"I don't really know at this point." He said. I smirked.

"Hey, don't worry about Katara, okay? She won't hurt you."

"How are you so sure?"

"Because if she hurts you, she'll have a very pissed off half-spirit to deal with, along with three, very upset spirits." I said.

"Chi, Hei-Bai, and Lin?"

"Yeah, they get a bit protective." I said. Zuko smirked, pulling me to him.

"I can't blame them, I want to keep you happy too." He said. I blushed, but grinned.

"Trust me, Pouty, you do." I jabbed him in the chest, frowning. "But I'm still pissed at you."

* * *

_**Dawww, I didn't even mean it to be that cute. Ha, then it was funny.**_

_**Disclaimer:...**_

_**So, what'd you think? Katara and Avery are threatening each other, I wonder how that'll turn out...**_


	35. Chapter 34

Zuko and Aang stood on the balcony of an upside down pagoda in the temple. I sat, watching.

"I know you're nervous, but remember, firebending in it of itself is _not_ something to fear."

"Okay. Not something to fear." Aang repeated.

"But if you don't respect it," He raised his voice, "it'll chew you up and spit you out like an angry komodo rhino!"

"Gah!" Aang yelped.

"Now show me what you've got. Any amount of fire you can make." Zuko said. Aang inhaled nervously and tried to firebend. A small cloud of smoke appeared, and is dissipated, from his palm.

"Maybe I need a little more instruction. Perhaps a demonstration?"

"Good idea. You might wanna take a couple steps back." Zuko said. Aang walked back. I watched Zuko's face as he inhaled deeply. Zuko grunted, and his fist let out a very small flame. Aang applauded at this display.

"What was that? That was the worst firebending I've ever seen!"

"I thought it was... nice." Aang said with a slight smile and a shrug. Zuko grunted again and tried firebending again, with all three attempts resulting in very small flame similar to the first. He grunted and looked at his palms.

"Why is this happening?" Zuko said, frustrated.

"Maybe it's the altitude?" Aang said.

"Maybe."

* * *

We moved to couple of pagodas, where Aang and I sat on broken pillars and Zuko was standing. Zuko attempted firebending, which resulted in a similar small flame again. He grunted and delivered another similar blast, as Aang yawned and laid down on his pillar.

"Just breathe, and..." Zuko delivered another blast with no improvement. Aang sat up.

"That one kind of felt hot."

"Don't patronize me! You know what it's supposed to look like!"

"Sorry, Sifu Hotman." Aang said. Zuko raised his arms to his head, and threw them down back, and shouted in frustration, causing Aang to cringe.

"And stop calling me that!" Sokka walked toward the teacher and his pupil, eating an apple. Sokka then sat down near the two, as they turned their heads toward him.

"Hey, jerks! Mind if I watch you two jerks do your jerkbending?" Sokka asked. I rolled my eyes.

"Get out of here!" Zuko said.

"Okay, take it easy." He dropped his half-eaten apple. "I was just kiddin' around."

"Yeah, well, you suck." I muttered. He got up and turned around, laughing as he adjusted his shirt.

"Jerkbending, still got it." Zuko dropped his head, dejected, and moaned.

"Zuko, you need to relax, okay? Stressing yourself out about this isn't going to help." I said, getting up and moving to sit next to him.

"I know, but... I don't get it!" He said. I placed a hand on his shoulder.

"How about you two take a break?" I suggested. "Aang, work on your earthbending. I want to hear those rocks slamming from here."

"Yeah, yeah."

"What was that?" I said, smirking. He grinned.

"Yes, sifu shirshu." He ran off and I chuckled.

"I see you two have bonded." Zuko said. I gave him a look, knowing the tone in his voice.

"Hey, I'm not going to pull and Ember Island on you, capishe? I'm not interested in anyone here."

"Not anyone?" Zuko said. I pursed my lips.

"Don't push your luck, Pouty. I'm still mad at you."

"What, should I grovel at your feet?"

"Sure." I said, crossing my ankles with a smirk. "Grovel. I'm sure I'll fully forgive you soon enough."

"Come on." Zuko said, leaning towards me. I grinned, and placed a hand over his mouth.

"I'm mad at you." I said, getting up. Zuko pouted and I laughed, heading for the main room.

* * *

Everyone was settled for dinner, except for Zuko, who was lounging against a pillar. He got up and walked towards us.

"Listen everybody, I've got some pretty bad news. I've lost my stuff." Zuko said. Toph raised both her arms above her head.

"Don't look at me," she folded her arms. "I didn't touch your stuff."

"I'm talking about my firebending. It's gone." Zuko said. I frowned. Katara laughs, and everyone's attention is focused on her in confusion. I glared in disgust.. Zuko looked at the waterbender with an annoyed expression.

"What's so funny about that, Katara?" I asked in a steely tone.

"I'm sorry. I'm just laughing at the irony. You know, how it would've been nice for us if you lost your firebending a long time ago." Katara said.

"Well, it's not lost. It's just... weaker for some reason."

"Maybe you're not as good as you think you are." Katara remarked, picking up her bowl.

"Ouch." Toph remarked, smiling sarcastically.

"I bet it's because I changed sides." Katara scoffed.

"That's ridiculous."

"No, I've actually heard of that happening." I said. "It happened to my mom. She used to be able to earthbend whole mountains, then she went good, and she could hardly bend a pebble."

"I don't know. Maybe it isn't to that extreme. Maybe your firebending comes from rage and you just don't have enough anger to fuel it the way you used to." Aang said.

"Sooo, all we need to do is make Zuko angry. Easy enough." Sokka poked Zuko with his sword's hilt in the head and waist several times, laughing.

"Okay, cut it out!" Zuko said. I frowned, earthbending the ground under Sokka so that he fell over. Zuko then rubbed his nose. "Look, even if you're right, I don't want to rely on hate and anger anymore. There has to be another way."

"You're gonna need to learn to draw your firebending from a different source. I recommend the original source." Toph said.

"How's he supposed to do that ? By jumping into a volcano ?" Sokka remarked.

"No. Zuko needs to go back to whatever the original source of firebending is." Toph corrected.

"So, is it jumping into a volcano?"

"I don't know." Toph placed her bowl down. "For earthbending, the original benders were badgermoles."

"Really?" Aang asked. I nodded.

"My dad learned from them too, when he was a young pup and fully blind. I picked up the natural gift from my mom and dad." I said. I looked to Toph. "You learned from the badgermoles?"

"Yeah. One day, when I was little, I ran away and hid in a cave. That's where I met them. They were blind, just like me. So we understood each other. I was able to learn earthbending, not just as a martial art, but as an extension of my senses. For them, the original earthbenders, it wasn't just about fighting. It was their way of interacting with the world." Toph finished, smiling.

"Toph, that's amazing." I said.

"I learned from the monks, but the original airbenders were the sky bison. Maybe you can give me a lesson sometime, buddy." Aang called back to Appa, who growled.

"Well, this doesn't help me. The original firebenders were the dragons, and they're extinct." Zuko said.

"What do you mean ? Roku had a dragon, and there were plenty of dragons when I was a kid." Aang said.

"Well, they aren't around anymore, okay?" Zuko said loudly.

"Okay, okay. I'm sorry."

"Aang, you have to remember that your childhood was 100 years ago." I said calmly. Aang nodded.

"Right, I forgot."

"But maybe there's another way. The first people to learn from the dragons were the ancient Sun Warriors." Zuko said, walking away

"Sun Warriors? Well, I know they weren't around when I was a kid." Aang said.

"No, they died off thousands of years ago. But their civilization wasn't too far from where we are now. Maybe we can learn something by poking around their ruins."

"It's like the monks used to tell me. Sometimes, the shadows of the past can be felt by the present."

"So, what?" Aang and Zuko looked back at Sokka. "Maybe you'll pick up some super old Sun Warrior energy just by standing where they stood a thousand years ago?"

"More or less. Either I find a new way to firebend, or the Avatar has to find a new teacher."

* * *

"So, what'd you learn on your little adventure?" I asked as the boys returned from their trip.

"We learned this really cool firebending form!" Aang said. "Wanna see?"

"Sure. Let's round up the GAang first though." I said. I cleared my throat. "Hey! Guys! Front and center!"

"Wha- Oh, you're back." Katara said, beaming at Aang. She then sent Zuko a dark look.

"They learned some sort of firebending trick." I said. Everyone gathered around to watch. They began and I smiled, watching them go with amusement and pride.

"With this technique the dragons showed us, Zuko and I will be unstoppable." Aang said. The two went into their final postures and Team Avatar applauded.

"Yeah, that's a great dance you two learned there." Sokka said sarcastically.

"It's not a dance. It's a firebending form." Zuko said.

"We'll just tap-dance our way to victory over the Fire Lord." Sokka went on. I smirked and shoved his shoulder.

"It's a sacred form that happens to be thousands of years old!"

"Oh, yeah ? What's your little form called ?" Katara asked.

"The Dancing Dragon..." Zuko said. We laughed and Zuko closed his eyes, cringing in embarrassment.

"Aww, we're just teasing ya, Pouty." I said, ruffling his hair in a playful manner. He swatted at my hands and I opted for placing them on his shoulders. I leaned up and whispered in his ear. "Besides, you're supposed to be groveling."

"I'll make you grovel later." He growled back. I pulled away from him and busted out laughing running away in the process.

"Try making me, Pouty!" I called.

* * *

_**Oh my Spirits, did Pouty make a sex joke? Seems like Avery's attitude has rubbed off on him.**_

_**Disclaimer:...**_

_**So, I know it's short, but what'd you think?**_


	36. Chapter 35

It was nightfall at the Western Air Temple. Zuko poured tea to give to the members of Team Avatar.

"No one can make tea like Uncle, but hopefully I learned a thing or two. Would you like to hear Uncle's favorite tea joke?" Zuko asked.

"Sure."

"I like jokes."

"Bring it!"

"Okay." He served tea to The Duke and Haru. "Well, I can't remember how it starts, but the punch line is 'Leaf me alone, I'm bushed!'... Well, it's funnier when Uncle tells it."

"Right... maybe that's because he remembers the whole thing." Katara said. I laughed with the others, and Zuko smiled.

"It's nice to get a chance to relax a little. It hardly ever happens." Toph said. Zuko handed tea to Teo and Toph. He then approached Sokka. Sokka locked eyes with me and I nodded, getting up.

"Hey, can I talk to you for a second?" Sokka asked. He stood up and walked out, and I followed. Zuko set down the tray of tea. We walked away from where the rest of the group was gathered.

"So, what's up?" Appa woke up and looked at us as we walked past him.

"If someone was captured by the Fire Nation, where would they be taken?" Sokka asked.

"What do you mean? Who was captured?"

"When the invasion plan failed, some of our troops were taken. I just want to know where they might be."

"I can't tell you."

"What? Why not?"

"Trust me. Knowing would just make you feel worse." Zuko turned to leave, but I stopped him from going.

"It's my dad. He was captured too. I need to know what I put him through."

"It's not good, Sokka."

"My guess is, they were taken to the Boiling Rock."

"What's that?"

"The highest security prison in the Fire Nation." Sokka looked at him, horrified. "It's on an island in the middle of a boiling lake. It's inescapable."

"So, where is this place?"

"Why do you need to know? What are you planning?"

"Nothing. Boy, you're so paranoid." Sokka said. I rolled my eyes.

"It's in the middle of a volcano between here and the Fire Nation. You guys actually flew right past it on your way here."

"Thanks, Zuko." He yawned. "Just knowing makes me feel better."

"Yeah, I'm sure it does." Zuko said sarcastically. We looked to each other as he headed away and nodded to each other in silent agreement.

* * *

Zuko and I hid in Appa's saddle, waiting for Sokka to show up, like we knew he would. I was sitting next to Zuko, curled into his side, with my legs over his legs. Zuko had his arm around my waist, and drummed the fingers of his free hand on my shin. And Sokka finally showed up. He began to climb onto Appa, who awoke.

"Shh." Sokka said. Appa went back to sleep and Sokka climbed on top of him. However, as he climbed up, he notices Zuko and I already in the saddle.

"Not up to anything, huh?" Zuko said. Sokka fell off Appa, his bag's contents falling out.

"Fine, you guys caught me. I'm gonna rescue my dad. You happy now?"

"I'm never happy." Zuko said. I smirked and tilted my head to whisper in his ear.

"You are when I grovel." I whispered. He smirked and rolled his eyes. We got up and watched Sokka pick up his thing.

"Look, I have to do this. The invasion plan was my idea, it was my decision to stay when things were going wrong." Zuko jumped off of Appa. "It's my mistake, and it's my job to fix it. I have to regain my honor. You can't stop me, Zuko." He pushed Zuko aside and began to climb up Appa and onto Appa's saddle.

"I can." I said, jabbing him in the chest. He yelped and fell off again. I hopped off Appa and looked down at him.

"You need to regain your honor? Believe me, I get it. I'm going with you." Zuko said. He grabbed my waist. "We both are."

"No. I have to do this alone."

"How are you going to get there? On Appa? Last time I checked, prisons don't have bison daycares. We'll take my war balloon." We walked off to the war balloon.

* * *

Zuko blasted fire into the tank to keep the war balloon moving. A moment of awkward silence between the two followed. I looked between the two, waiting for one of them to speak.

"Pretty clouds." Sokka said.

"Yeah... fluffy." Sokka whistled. "What?"

"What? Oh, I didn't say anything. You know, a friend of mine actually designed these war balloons."

"No kidding." Zuko said.

"Yep, a balloon... but for war." Sokka said. I face palmed.

"If there's one thing my dad's good at, it's war." He blasted more fire into the tank.

"Yeah, it seems to run in the family."

"Hey, hold on. Not everyone in my family is like that." Zuko said defensively.

"I know, I know, you've changed."

"I meant my uncle. He was more of a father to me. And I really let him down." Zuko said. I reached up and placed a hand on his shoulder.

"I think your uncle would be proud of you. Leaving your home to come help us? That's hard."

"It wasn't that hard." Zuko admitted.

"Really? You didn't leave behind anyone you cared about?" Sokka asked.

"Well, I did have a girlfriend. Mai." Zuko said. "But-"

"That gloomy girl who sighs a lot?"

"Yeah. Everyone in the Fire Nation thinks I'm a traitor. I couldn't drag her into it."

"My first girlfriend turned into the moon." Sokka said. Zuko looked shocked for a moment. He looked up at the sky briefly, before glancing back at Sokka.

"That's rough, buddy." Was all he said.

* * *

It was nighttime. Yue was shining down on us as Zuko continued to keep the tank full. Sokka was asleep, snoring aloud. I cleared my throat awkwardly.

"So..." I said. Zuko sighed.

"Listen, I do care about Mai. But at this point, as a needy friend, like Jin. I care about you."

"So you were lying to Mai?" I asked, sitting cross legged.

"Mostly. I mean, I don't want her to become a wanted criminal." He said. I nodded.

"That makes sense." I said, looking away. Zuko fired into the tank again before looking to me.

"Hey," He said, "What's really bugging you?"

"Nothing, forget it." I said. Zuko walked over and knelt in front of me, grabbing hold of my hands.

"Avery, what's wrong?" He asked. I sighed.

"I don't even know." I admitted. I looked to him, and noted something out of the corner of my eye.

"There it is!" I exclaimed. Sokka awoke to see it.

"There's plenty of steam to keep us covered. As long as we're quiet, we should be able to navigate through it without being caught." Zuko said. As we entered the steam though, the balloon began losing altitude. Zuko frantically blasted fire into the tank.

"We're going down! The balloon's not working anymore!" He blasted fire up into the balloon.

"The air outside is just as hot as the air inside so we can't fly!" I said, getting to my feet. I fell into Zuko, who fell into the side as the balloon tips.

"So what are we supposed to do?" Zuko asked.

"I don't know! Crash-landing?" Sokka yelped. The balloon skidded along the boiling water, splashing my hand. I shook out my hand while blocking my mouth to prevent myself from screaming. The balloon hit the base of the rock, ejecting the three of us from it.

"How are we gonna get off the island if the balloon won't work?" Zuko asked.

"We'll figure something out! I suspected it might be a one-way ticket." Sokka said.

"You knew this would happen and you wanted to come anyway?" Zuko asked. I was still biting my hand so I wouldn't cry. The burn was bad, very bad. Sokka walked to the destroyed balloon.

"My dad might be here! I had to come and see!"

"Uncle always said I never thought things through. But this... this is just crazy!" Sokka gathered parts from the balloon together.

"Hey, I never wanted you to come along in the first place! And for the record, I always think things through! But my plans haven't exactly worked, so this time, I'm playing it by ear. So there." After the hot water on the balloon burned his hand, Sokka kicked it into the water.

"What are you doing?" Zuko asked.

"It doesn't work anyway, and we don't want anyone to find it." Sokka said.

"I hope you know what you're doing. There's no turning back now." Zuko said.

"Uh, Avery?" Sokka said. "You okay?"

"MmmmmMmmm" I hummed, shaking my head. I held out my burnt hand and Zuko and Sokka gasped, cringing.

"How'd this happen?" Zuko asked, carefully taking my hand and examining the wound.

"Water." I said briefly, voice laced with obvious pain. I went back to biting my free hand.

"We need to get you bandaged up. Inside we can steal guard uniforms and get you hand fixed." Zuko said. Sokka and I nodded.

* * *

It was morning. Zuko, Sokka, and I had managed to sneak in. We bandaged my hand and disguised in prison guard uniforms. Well, they did. There were only two guard uniforms. I disguised as a prisoner.

"Remember, Zuko is Tatsuo, Sokka is Tatsuya, and I'm Kaida." I said.

"I hope these disguises work." Zuko said.

"We just need to lay low and find my dad as soon as possible." Sokka said. A series of guards ran by. One of them ran back and looked at them.

"Guards! There's a scuffle in the yard. Come on." He said.

"I can't leave my charge." Zuko said, roughly grabbing my bicep and pulling me back.

"Your charge?" He asked. "Oh yeah! I forgot the Warden allowed private charges."

"Well, Kaida is my charge alright."

"Well bring her along then!" He said. We took off running towards the yard. Prisoners were gathered in a circle as the guards moved through to the inside.

"I didn't do anything! I'm going back to my cell." A large prisoner said.

"Stop right there, Chit Sang." A guard said, whipping fire at him. I frowned, instantly not liking him. Zuko tried to approach, but I grabbed his arm to stop him.

"We can't blow our cover." I said. Zuko nodded and stepped back.

"I've had it with your unruly behavior!" Said the bully guard.

"He wants to know what he did. Isn't that cute?" He said to Sokka and Zuko. He gave them a look when they say nothing.

"Uh, very cute, sir." Zuko said.

"Super cute." Sokka agreed.

"You didn't bow down when I walked by, Chit Sang!" The Bully Guard said.

"What? That's not a prison rule!"

"Do it!"

"Make me." The bully guard walked away. But then, as he was leaving, he whipped fire at Chit Sang. Chit Sang blocked it, and redirected it at him. The bully guard broke the blast with a kick.

"Tsk, tsk. Firebending is prohibited. You're going in the cooler." He pointed at Sokka. "You! Help me take him in."

"Meet me back here in an hour." Sokka whispered to Zuko.

* * *

It was meal time for the guards. I wasn't allowed in the lounge, so I went to the yard. I looked around and noted a slim red haired girl sitting alone on a large rock. I walked over and sat next to her. She looked at me oddly.

"What's your name?" I asked casually.

"Suki." She said. My eyebrows shot up and I looked at her with wide eyes.

"You're Suki? As in, 'Sokka's Girlfriend' Suki?" I said. She perked up.

"You know Sokka?"

"Yeah!" I said. "Me and him are traveling with the Avatar."

"'you and him'?" She said.

"Okay, rewording now. I joined the Avatar's group, and Sokka's in said group. I'm not 'with' Sokka. I'm 'with' Zuko." I said.

"Who are you?" She asked.

"My name's Avery, but for the sake of not breaking our cover, call me Kaida." I said. I looked up to see Sokka and Zuko talking on a balcony of sorts. I trained my eyes on them and when they looked down, they saw me. I waved and Sokka lit up, seeing Suki next to me.

"Prisoners, back in your cells!" A guard yelled. I stood and looked to Suki.

"I don't have a cell, sir." I told a guard. "I'm Tatsuo's charge."

"Who's?"

"He's knew here, sir." I said. He nodded.

"Alright. Well, come with me. We'll find this Tatsuo of yours." He said. I waved to Suki and followed the man.

* * *

"Guard, help! I think he's an impostor! Arrest him!" I heard someone yell. The guard I was walking with and I exchanged looks and took off running. Zuko was fighting with a female guard. "Get him off me and arrest him!"

"You're under arrest!" Sokka said, grabbing Zuko and throwing him to the floor. I cringed. I looked to the guard and frowned.

"You people trusted an imposter with a dangerous criminal?"

"You aren't dangerous." he said. I quirked an eyebrow.

"Why do you think I'm in here?" I asked. He gave me a look before nodding.

"Good point. You there!" He pointed to Sokka, who was leading Zuko away. "What's your name?"

"Tatsuya." He replied. The guard pushed my forward.

"She's your charge now." He said, before heading away. Sokka, Zuko, and I exchanged looks.

* * *

I followed Sokka around, following orders and playing along when he 'rough housed' me. We came down a flight of stairs and saw Zuko and Suki mopping floors.

"Oh, good, you guys have met." Sokka said.

"Actually, we met a long time ago." Suki replied.

"We did?" Zuko asked.

"Yeah, you kind of burned down my village." Suki snapped. I fought back a small snicker as Zuko paused from mopping for a moment.

"Oh, sorry about that. Nice to see you again." Zuko said. This time, I laughed quietly. The four of us ducked behind the staircase Sokka and I had come down a few moment earlier.

"So, listen, I think I have an escape plan. I checked out the coolers again, and the point of them is to keep firebenders contained, right?"

"Yeah..."

"So, they're completely insulated and sealed to keep the cold in. Well, to keep the cold in, it also has to keep the heat out, right?"

"Just get to the point, Sokka." Suki said.

"It's a perfect boat for getting through the boiling water."

"The cooler as a boat? Are you sure?" Zuko said.

"I'm telling you, it'll work. Avery and I walked around the perimeter. There's a blind spot between two guard towers. It's the perfect launching point. I already tested it out. We'll roll the cooler into the water and just float with the current. It'll take us straight across. As long as we don't make a sound, no one will notice. And bing-bang-boom, we're home free." Sokka said.

"But how are we going to get the cooler out?" Suki asked.

"Yeah, how are you going to get the cooler out?" Chit Sang said, jumping down the stairs next to us. I yelped and my grip tightened on Zuko's hand.

"What? We didn't... W-we didn't say that."

"Yeah, you heard wrong." Zuko said, backing Sokka up.

"I heard you hatching an escape plan, and I want in." Chit Sang said.

"There's nothing to get in on." I said.

"Yeah, the only thing we're hatching is... an egg?" Sokka said. I facepalmed and Zuko and Suki sighed in disgust.

"Okay, well, I come with you or the warden hears about this egg, too." Chit Sang said.

"I guess we have no choice." Suki said.

"Okay, you're in." Sokka said. He handed Zuko a wrench. "Now first we need someone to unbolt the cooler, from the inside."

"Oh, I can get you inside." Chit Sang said. "We just need help from the little lady."

"Uh..." I stuttered.

* * *

Two guards look down at the prison area. I walked out from behind the stairs and stood in a specific spot. Zuko pretended to be mopping and 'bumped' into me.

"Hey! What are you, stupid? Watch where you're going!" I yelled, shoving Zuko.

"Hey, you watch who you're shoving!" Zuko yelled back, shoving me in return.

"I think you mean _whom_ I'm shoving!" I said. We started scuffle as the prisoners cheered us on. We broke apart and Zuko went for a punch. I ducked and tackled Zuko onto the floor.

"I need backup over here!" Sokka yelled approaching. Zuko dodged as I went to elbow him. Zuko blasted fire at me and I rolled off him, out of the way. I then tackled him off his knees as the guards came.

"No firebending! Into the cooler!" One yelled. While Zuko and I continued wrestling, I smirked and kissed his nose.

"Love ya, baby." I said. I then shoved him at the guards. Zuko was escorted away by two guards. Sokka looked at Suki, who was mopping and looked back, as he walked off. I got up and followed him like nothing had happened.

* * *

Later, Sokka opened the cooler.

"I can take you back to your cell if you've learned your lesson." Sokka said. Zuko raised his head slightly and released a small breath of fire out of his smirking mouth to warm himself up.

"Yes, I have... completely." He revealed all the removed bolts and screws, which made Sokka smile.

"I got Suki and Chit Sang out of their cells a few minutes ago. They'll be waiting for us at the shore." Sokka whispered, lifting his visor.

"Someone's coming!" Zuko hissed. He grabbed us into the cooler and closed the door. I was sitting across both their laps due to the lack of space.

"Yeah, new arrivals coming in at dawn." The male said.

"Anybody interesting?" The female asked.

"Nah, just the usual. Some robbers, a couple traitors, some war prisoners," Sokka looked at us with shock and worry. "though I did hear there might be a pirate."

"No fooling!" The female said. We waited until we were sure they were gone before speaking.

"War prisoners. It could be your father." Zuko said.

"I know."

"Well, what should we do? Are we going ahead with the plan or are we waiting another night?" Zuko asked.

"I don't know! Is it right for me to risk Suki's freedom, all of our freedom on the slim chance that my dad is gonna show up?" Sokka asked, clearly frustrated.

"It's your call, Sokka." Zuko said.

* * *

We were outside the prison, and it was night time. Suki and Chit Sang were waiting for the three of us until they heard us above, rolling the, now detached, cooler down the hill. Suki and Chit Sang moved to help.

"Took you guys long enough." He said. I sneezed. "This here's my girl and my best buddy, they're coming too."

"Do they have names?" I asked as I looked to them. There was a male sitting on a rock, and a female waving.

"Chiyo is my girl, Akako's the dude." Chit Sang said.

"Fine. Everybody in the cooler. Let's go." We moved the cooler into the water. Sokka lifted a rock hiding his Water Tribe outfit.

"Are you sure you wanna go?" I asked Sokka.

"You're the one who said you wanted to redeem yourself. Redeem your honor. Rescuing your dad is your chance." Zuko added.

"Your dad?" Suki asked.

"If I had just cut my losses at the invasion, maybe we wouldn't be in this mess. Maybe sometimes it's just better to call it quits before you fail." Sokka said.

"No, it's not. Look Sokka, you're going to fail a lot before things work out." Zuko said. Sokka stood.

"That supposed to make me feel better?" Sokka asked, moving away.

"Even though you'll probably fail over and over and over again..."

"Seriously, not helping." Zuko grabbed Sokka's shoulder.

"You have to try every time. You can't quit because you're afraid you might fail."

"Hey, if you two are done cuddling, can we get a move on?" Chit Sang spoke up.

"No. I'm staying. You guys go." Sokka looked to Suki. "You've been here long enough."

"I'm not leaving without you, Sokka." Suki said.

"I'm staying, too."

"You guys can't get rid of me that easily." I said, smiling as Zuko wrapped an arm around my waist.

"Not me, I'm out. Let's roll, baby." Chit Sand pushed the cooler into the lake and jumped in.

"We gave up our only chance of escaping. I hope we haven't just made a huge mistake." Sokka said. As morning arrived, the cooler holding Chit Sang, his buddy, and his girlfriend was still within the perimeter of the prison. The current escapees were sweating as the cooler slowly floated with the current. Chit Sang said something to his group and ripped off a piece of the cooler. When he put the piece of metal in the water, the steaming water splashed on to his hand, causing him to scream loudly. A watchman caught notice and the watchmen hit an alarm bell.

"The plan failed! They're caught!" Sokka said. A large ballista bolt, fired from the watch tower, caught hold of the cooler, and dragged it back toward the prison. Speaking of the prison, we ran in and to the prison yard.

"The gondola's moving. This is it. If my dad's not there, we've risked everything for nothing." Sokka said.

"We had to." Suki said, taking his head.

"Come on, come on..." A large man with a tattoo and nose ring came off the gondola first.

"Is that him?" Zuko asked.

"My dad _doesn't_ have a nose ring." Several more men stepped off. "Where is he?" One more prisoner exit. Hakoda did not appear. "That's it? That can't be it."

"I'm sorry, Sokka." Suki said.

"Oh no..." Sokka said, dropping his head in defeat.

"Hey, you! Get off the gondola!" A male guard suddenly yelled. I looked away from Sokka to see Hakoda step off, head high.

"Dad..."

* * *

_**TO BE CONTINUED!**_

_**Can you believe The Boiling Rock has two parts? Sheesh.**_

_**Disclaimer:...**_

_**So, what'd you think?**_


	37. Chapter 36

"Line 'em up for the warden!" A guard said. Eight prisoners filed in line, one next to the other, including Hakoda. Sokka walked forward and lifted his guard mask.

"Excuse me, coming through. The warden wants me over there. Sorry!" Sokka said, squeezing through the line. I had a grip on his arm, but a guard stopped me.

"Hey, no prisoners allowed up her." He said.

"Sorry sir, but I'm Tatsuya's personal charge. And the Warden want's him over there." I said, continuing to walk. Sokka and I inched our way behind several guards, taller than even Sokka. I'm a bit on the short side so... The warden approached the new prisoners. Walking past the line of prisoners starting from the left.

"Welcome to the Boiling Rock. I'm sure you've all heard the horrible rumors about our little island. Well, I just want to tell you that they don't have to be true, as long as you do everything I say." He stopped in front of Hakoda who looked downward; looked closer at Hakoda. "Look me in the eye when I'm talking to you."

"No." Hakoda said bravely.

"Oh? You'd rather look at my shoes? Then take a look!" He said angrily. He raised his left leg and dragged Hakoda by his handcuffs down onto the floor. Hakoda kneeled over, his face expressing anger. Sokka gasped in warden stood over Hakoda, keeping his foot firmly pressed on the warrior's handcuffs.

"I know exactly who you are, Hakoda of the Water Tribe. So strong-willed. But don't worry, we'll get rid of that in time. Now look me in the eye!" The warden barked. Hakoda reluctantly lifted his head to look the warden in the eye and glared hatefully at him.

"See, isn't that better? You will all do as I say or pay the price. You will all-" He began to walk forward only for Hakoda to lift his left handcuff slightly, tripping the warden and causing him to fall flat on the ground. Sokka and I stifled chuckles, as the two guards standing behind rush to aid the warden.

"Are you okay, sir?" the warden stood angrily.

"I'm fine! Get these prisoners out of my sight!" he snapped.

He stormed away impatiently. The two guards looked at each other. The prisoners filed one behind the other and were led down a stairwell into what I presumed to be the prison hold. Sokka and I ran away.

* * *

Sokka and I approached Hakoda's cell, where he sat on his mattress, his face buried in his arms. A sliver of light appeared as the doorway to the cell was opened. Hakoda raised his head to see who had entered. Sokka and I walked in. Sokka began to approach his father.

"Thank goodness you're okay." Sokka said. Hakoda rose to his feet and extended his right arm out, clenched in a fist, not realizing the guard was his son in disguise; Sokka backed up a bit.

"If you take one step closer, you'll see just how 'okay' I am." He lifted up his helmet mask.

"Dad, it's me." Sokka said. Hakoda softened up and grew teary-eyed.

"Sokka," The two embraced; Sokka dropped his helmet to the floor. "my son. You know Sokka, you should be more careful with that guard outfit on. I almost punched you in the gut."

"Yeah, I ran into that problem earlier." Sokka said.

"Hakoda?" I said. Said man looked at me and smiled.

"Avery." He said, opening his arms in an offering. I stepped forward and hugged him.

"So where's Bato?" Sokka turned away from the door, where he had been peering through the slit. "Where's everyone else from the invasion?"

"The others are being held at a prison near the Fire Nation palace. They singled me out as their leader and sent me here." Sokka came and sat down next to us. "But before I left, I met some young women who said they knew you. The... Oshinama Fighters?"

"You mean the Kyoshi Warriors?" Sokka said, smiling.

"That's right." Hakoda said.

"Their leader Suki is here and she's gonna escape with us." Sokka said.

"Good. We'll need all the help we can get."

"And you know Prince Zuko?" Sokka said.

"The son of the Fire Lord? I don't know him, but I know of him."

"Well, he's here too."

"Sounds like a major problem." Hakoda said, crossing his arms angrily.

"No, he's on our side now." I said. Hakoda gave me a suspicious look.

"I know. I had the same reaction. After all he's done, it was hard to trust him. But he's really proven himself, and I never would've found you without his help." Hakoda nodded his head at Sokka, indicating that he understood. "And he and Avery are dating, so if he did something stupid, she'd stop him."

"Right. So, do you have a plan?"

"We had one, but some of the other prisoners got involved and ruined it." He leaned forward and rested his face in his arms. "I dunno if there's another way off this island."

"Sokka, there's no prison in the world that can hold two Water Tribe geniuses and a mystic animal."

"Then we better find some." Sokka said. Hakoda and I laughed while Sokka chuckled nervously.

* * *

I followed Sokka as we headed to Zuko's cell. He lifted up his mask.

"Zuko, are you there?" Sokka asked in a hushed tone.

"I'm here." Zuko said, eyes looking like they were glowing.

"We just got done talking to my dad. We came up with an escape plan together." Sokka explained.

"What are you doing here?" A male guard said. I looked to him. "And what is she doing out of her cell?"

"Kaida is my personal charge. Don't worry, she's harmless, she's been tamed." I shot him a look, murdering him mentally. "And I was just telling this dirty lowlife what I think of him!"

"Well, you'll have to do that later. He's coming with us." The male guard said.

"Why?" Sokka asked.

"Because we have orders straight from the warden, that's why!" The female snapped.

"Could I just get ten more seconds to rough him up a bit?" Sokka asked, punching his fist into his hand.

"Fine, ten seconds." They said. We entered the cell and closed the door as Sokka began 'roughing up' Zuko.

"Take that... and this!" Sokka yelled as he punched a bundled-up mattress being held up, several blows being landed to it. Sokka continued punching the mattress which Zuko held up, the two faking the entire scenario. I had to say, they were pretty good. Zuko shouted a few times in mock pain.

"We have a new plan, but it's gonna need a big distraction. Be in the yard in one hour." Sokka said in a hushed tone. A sliver of light appeared as the cell door was opened. Sokka suddenly grabbed Zuko and began to wrestle him to look convincing as the two guards entered, just after I placed the mattress back.

"Alright, that's enough." The male said, separating them. Zuko was escorted out of the cell by the guards while Sokka remained behind. Suddenly, the female turned back and grabbed me too.

"Hey!" I yelped, falling forward to keep balance. She forced my arms behind my back and forced me forward.

"Where are you going with my charge?" Sokka yelled. I sent him a look to tell him that I'd figure it out. Zuko and I were dragged down multiple hallways.

"What are you doing? Where are you taking me?" He was thrown into a chair in an interrogation room. I was thrown to the ground and cringed, sitting up and rubbing my shoulder. That would leave a bruise. "I didn't do anything wrong!"

"Come on, Zuko. We all know that's a lie."

"Mai?" Zuko gasped as said gloomy girl came into the room. She looked to me.

"So... You're going with the name 'Kaida'?" Mai said.

"How did you know I was here?" Zuko interrupted.

"Because I know you so well."

"But, how-"

"The warden's my uncle, you idiot." Zuko sighed; Mai showed him a letter. "The truth is, I guess I don't know you. All I get is a letter? You could have least looked me in the eye when you ripped out my heart."

"I didn't mean to -"

"You didn't mean to?" She began reading the letter. "'Dear Mai, I'm sorry you that you have to find out this way, but I'm leaving'."

"Stop! This isn't about you. This is about the Fire Nation!" Zuko said. I looked between the two, awkwardly trying to asses what happened.

"Thanks Zuko, that makes me feel all better." She threw the letter at him. Zuko stood up.

"Mai, I never wanted to hurt you. But I have to do this to save my country." Zuko said.

"Save it? You're betraying your country!"

"That's not how I see it." Zuko said. Mai looked away from him, crossing her arms.

"And you left me for _her_?" Mai said, nodding at me. I frowned, standing.

"What's _that_ supposed to mean?"

"You're a stupid savage who rolls in the dirt." Mai said.

"At least I express myself, Goth Ball." I snapped.

"'Goth Ball'? I think you just proved my point." Mai sneered.

"Listen Mai, I don't know _what_ your problem is, alright? You act like I disrespect you because of the whole Ember Island Zuko fiasco. I don't want to argue, alright? I'm just trying to help one damn kid save the damn world from damn Ozai!" I exclaimed. "Listen, deep down, I know you can be good."

"Good? What do you mean by 'good'?" Mai snapped.

"Good. As in, a good guy. To you, you are the good guy. But have you ever considered how messed up the world is, because Ozai and the monarch before him couldn't be satisfied by their large land?" I asked. Mai gave me a steady look, daring me to continue. "Zuko is _good_ now, because he's helping bring equality and balance."

"What would you now about Zuko?" Mai scoffed. I frowned.

"A lot more than you apparently." I said. Zuko actually had a hint a amusement in his eye as I said that. "Anyway, what I was _trying_ to say was that you could come with us, and smooth out Ozai's mistakes. Think on it." I said. I walked to the door as Sokka strolled by and slipped out the door, gripping his arm.

"Hey, where're you going?" The guard called. I turned innocently.

"Well, I was excused from the room, sir. And I'm this guard's personal prisoner." I said, eyes wide. He huffed and nodded. We continued on and I let out a breath. "Alright, where're we headed."

"You'll see." Sokka said, smirking.

* * *

"Hey, I just got orders. Let the prisoners out into the yard." Sokka told the guard in charge of the cell doors.

"But we're in the middle of a lockdown." The door guard said.

"Oh, okay, I'll just go tell the warden you said that." We turned and began walking away. We paused and looked back. The guard raised his mask and looked at us, speechless. "I'm sure he'll be glad to hear about you undermining his authority. What's your name again?"

"Wait! Don't tell the warden. I'm just a little confused." The door guard said.

"Hey, I'm confused too, but the wardens in a bad mood, and... irrational, so if you ask me, it's best not to question it, and just do what he says." Sokka placed his arm around the guard's shoulders.

"Yeah... you're right. We're letting them out!" The guard opened all the doors by pulling the levers. The prisoners headed for the yard.

* * *

The prisoners mingled in the yard, where Sokka, Suki, Hakoda, and I met.

"This is it! We have to start a riot." Sokka said.

"Okay. But how do we do that?" Suki asked.

"I'll show you." Hakoda said. He shoved a nearby prisoner.

"Hey! What'd you do that for? That hurt my feelings." he said.

"Aren't you mad at me?" Hakoda said.

"Uh, well, normally I would be, but I've been learning to control my anger." the prisoner admitted.

"This isn't working." Hakoda said. Suddenly, Chit Sang appeared behind Sokka and I and put his hand on our shoulders.

"Hey you! You're lucky I didn't rat you out," He smiled. "but my generosity comes with a price. I know you're planning another escape attempt, and I want in."

"Actually, we're trying to escape right now, but we need a riot. You wouldn't happen to know how to start one, would you?"

"A prison riot? Please. Up to acting again, sweetheart?" He asked me. I grinned. He grabbed me and lifted me in the air, bouncing me up and down.

"Hey!" All the prisoners looked at him. "Riot!"

The riot began. Several blasts of fire went off.

"Impressive." Hakoda said. Chit Sang tossed me up again and I flipped in the air, landing feet first on his hands, surveying our work.

"Forget about controlling my anger... let's riot!" The previous prisoner said. He was taken down by another prisoner. The riot was in full swing. I flipped down from Chit Sang's grip and crossed my arms. Zuko reached the rest of us and slammed down another guard as the riot continued.

"Zuko! Good, we're all here. Now all we need to do is grab the warden, and get to the gondolas!" Sokka said.

"And how do we do that?" Zuko asked.

"I'm not sure." Sokka admitted. Zuko groaned in annoyance as Suki and I exchanged glances. We nodded to each other before running and jumping. We were in perfect unison. Suki and I hopped up on the heads of the rioters, then jumped and flipped onto the tower. We easily defeated the first few guards with a few quick jabs. Two more guards arrived. We ducked a fire blast and swept the first one and then dodged the second one's fire blast and continued to climb the tower. We made it up to the top and defeated the final guard with a sliding kick. We then grabbed the warden by the fists.

"You wouldn't dare." The warren said. He looked between the both of us and I smirked.

"I dare." I said. I slammed my fist into his face and he grunted. I purposely didn't break his nose, but I was tempted. Suki tied his hands together and used his headband as a gag.

"Sorry, warden. You're our prisoner now." Suki said, grinning at me. Suki slammed the warden against the wall; the rest of the escapees arrived. "We've got the warden! Now let's get out of here!"

The others were out of breath.

"Those are some girls..." Hakoda said.

"Tell me about it." Zuko and Sokka said in unison. We made a run for the gondola.

"We're almost there!" Suki called. We were stopped by guards who launched two fire blasts at us. Zuko shoved Sokka out of the way and blocked the two fire blasts. More guards appeared to help.

"Back off! We've got the warden!" The guards saw the warden on Chit Sang's shoulder, bound and gagged, and cleared the way. "Let's go!"

We continued along our path, cautiously watching the guards so they didn't try any sudden moves. We arrived at the gondola. Suki opened the door.

"Everyone in." I said. Once everyone was in but Zuko and I, he started the gondola and kicked the handle a few times attempting to break it. I saw the guards rushing toward us and frowned.

"Move." I said.

"Avery, if I can't break it you c-" I sucked in a breath and spun, kicking the handle straight of and at the guards. I bent a ramp and we jumped toward the gondola while dodging guards' fire blasts. Sokka grabbed Zuko's hand and helped him into the gondola, while I simply grabbed the side and flipped in.

"What are you doing?" Sokka asked.

"I'm making it so they can't stop us." Zuko said.

"Way to think ahead." Sokka said.

"How the hell did you break the lever?" Zuko asked. I grinned.

"You seem to forget I'm good friends with Toph." I said.

"We're on our way!" Suki said.

"Wait! Who's that?" Hakoda said. Azula and Ty Lee stood at the bottom of the gondola station, all the guards bowing down.

"Well that's a problem." I said.

"It's my sister and her friend." Ty Lee leapt up and climbed the line. Azula took a pair of handcuffs from a guard. After elevating herself to the line with a fire blast, she used the cuffs to attach herself to the line, and blasted up it.

"This is a rematch I've been waiting for." Suki said.

"Me too." ZUko said. Sokka, Suki, Zuko, and I climbed to the top of the gondola to meet Azula and Ty Lee. Azula blasted fire, but Zuko blocked it. Ty Lee and Suki traded blows at one another, but neither could land. Ty Lee was forced to the edge but jumped into the gondola and came out the other side, continuing her attacks. Zuko continued to wipe out Azula's fire blasts. Sokka drew her back to the edge with his sword. Zuko went in for a finish, but Azula dodged Zuko's blast and stayed on the gondola. She then countered with a blast that went wide.

The guards suddenly put a stop to the gondola by jabbing a sword at the cable wheel. The force sent Sokka to the edge of the gondola, but I pulls him in at the last moment. Ty Lee jumped up to the top of the wire to see what was happening.

"They're about to cut the line!" Ty Lee announced. The guards worked to cut the line. Azula noticed another gondola approaching on the other wire, heading inbound. Azula smirked.

"Then it's time to leave. Goodbye Zuko, Avery." She blasted herself up. She reached the other gondola. Ty Lee backflipped to the other gondola. When she reached it, she looks back at Sokka, Suki, Zuko, and I with concern. Speaking of us: the four of us jumped back into the gondola.

"They're cutting the line! The gondola's about to go!" Zuko said.

"I hope this thing floats."

"Wait, guys, look." I said, looking out the side. A female in dark red was attacking the guards.

"Who's that?" Sokka asked. I let out a short laugh of disbelief.

"It's Mai!" I said. Zuko gasped. The gondola made it to the top of the hill. Everyone left. Chit Sang held the warden and threw him back in when Hakoda pointed at it.

"Sorry, warden. Your record is officially broken." Hakoda said. We escaped over the rim of the volcano.

"Well, we made it out. Now what?" Suki said. Sokka turned and noticed Zuko standing still.

"Zuko, what are you doing?"

"My sister was on that island." Zuko said.

"Yeah, and she's probably right behind us, so let's not stop!"

"What I mean is she must have come here somehow." Zuko and I walked up to a large hill by the sea. "There! That's our way out of here!"

"I think this fishing trip just went crazy." I said, rushing towards the large airship.

* * *

It was nightfall at the Western Air Temple. The ship was returned. Zuko, Sokka, and I exited, standing in front of Toph, Aang, and Katara.

"What are you doing in this thing? What happened to the war balloon?" Katara asked.

"It kind of got destroyed." Zuko said.

"Sounds like a crazy fishing trip." Aang said.

"Did you at least get some good meat?" Toph asked.

"We did. The best meat of all. The meat of friendship and fatherhood." Sokka said. Hakoda, Suki, and Chit Sang exited the war balloon.

"I'm new. What's up, everybody?" Chit Sang said, waving. Katara began tearing up, overwhelmed and overjoyed.

"Dad?" She ran to him.

"Hi, Katara." They embraced.

"How are you here? What is going on? Where did you go?" Katara asked.

"We might of went to a top security Fire Nation prison." I said, grinning. Hakoda pulled Sokka into the embrace.

"Seriously? You guys didn't find any meat?" Toph said. I laughed.

* * *

_**Oh ma spirits, I am so sorry for not updating in so long! I've been caught up with other stories, and I just found my nintendo 3DS, and school just ended, but I am back.**_

_**Disclaimer:...**_

_**So after such a long wait, are you guys happy with the turnout of this chapter?**_


	38. Chapter 37

It was morning at the Western Air Temple. Everyone else was sleeping, sleeping bags all arranged in a circular form. Chit Sang was snoring. I shifted a bit, curling father into Zuko's side. Aang woke up, yawning and rubbing his eyes. Several birds fluttering about the fountain.

The birds suddenly flew away as a bomb was launched their way, splashing through the waterfall fountain. I gasped and scrambled up, waking Zuko in the progress. I ran forward and sent a beam of green energy at one of the incoming bombs. Aang grew suddenly alert and rose, using his glider to airbend the bomb away. The bomb exploded. Two more bombs pelted the building. Everyone was now fully awake.

Aang raced toward the edge of the building, glider in hand. A Fire Nation airship came into view. The bow of the airship launched another bomb that sailed through the air and crashed into a nearby bridge. Aang ran back to the campsite, Appa following close behind, and used airbending to force the large, ceiling-high metal doors surrounding their site to close. Several bombs continued to assail the temple. A portion of the ceiling roof began to crumble and finally caved in. Katara was standing directly beneath the crumbling ceiling. She looked up, alarmed, only to be pushed out of the way by Zuko.

"Watch out!" The two rolled across the floor, the debris from the ceiling crashing several feet away from them. They finally settled on the ground.

"What are you doing?" Katara snapped angrily.

"Keeping rocks from crushing you." he replied calmly.

"Okay, I'm not crushed. You can get off me now!" Katara rushed out from under Zuko. Zuko got up.

"I'll take that as a thank you." He said. A section of the wall had a hole bored through. Toph and Haru had created the exit way using earthbending.

"Come on! We can get out through here!" Everyone began entering the passageway. Aang stayed behind, trying to get Appa to leave with him by pulling on the bison's reins. He spotted Zuko and I standing, facing the airships.

"Go ahead! I'll hold them off. I think this is a family visit." Zuko said.

"I'm coming with you." I said. Zuko grabbed my shoulder and looked me in the eye.

"No, I need you to go with the others. I can't let you get hurt."

"I can handle myself!" I insisted.

"Avery, please. Listen to me." He said. I sighed and bowed my head in agreement. Zuko pulled me into a hug, kissing my forehead, before running off. Sokka and Katara run up to Aang.

"Zuko! No!"

"Come on! We've gotta get out of here!" Sokka said. Aang, Katara, Sokka, and I began pulling on the reins together in an attempt to budge Appa.

"I can't get him to go in there! Appa hates tunnels!"

"Aang, there's no way we can fly out of here." Katara replied.

"We'll have to find a way." Aang said.

"We need to split up." Sokka said. To the others, he said, "Take the tunnel and get to the stolen airship."

"No!" Katara said, turning angrily. She walked up to her father. "The Fire Nation can't separate our family again!""

"It'll be okay. It's not forever." Hakoda said. Katara hesitated before hugging her dad and ran back to Aang. Sokka and Hakoda hugged also as Sokka took Suki and ran with the rest of us. The two groups went their separate ways. Toph touched a wall.

"I can clear that away and we can fly out through there!" Toph announced.

"Um, there's an awful lot of fire in that general direction..." Suki said.

"We'll get through. Let's go."

Appa flew through to the outside of the temple, covered by a shield of rock in front. Azula tried to bring him down, only for the shield to absorb the blasts. Appa escaped and the shield disintegrated. Behind Azula, a second airship rose, revealing Zuko. Appa, dodging fire blasts, held Katara as she deflected several large whips of fire with her waterbending. The group rose above the airship to avoid more fire. Zuko and Azula attacked in unison, dealing fire-packed punches, which launched them both off the airship. Zuko was caught by the team, but Azula was left falling.

"She's... not gonna make it..." Zuko said. Azula used her firebending to propel herself toward the wall, stopping her fall with her hair pin and saving herself.

"Of course she did." I said. Zuko huffed with a head shake.

* * *

"Wow, camping... it really seems like old times again, doesn't it?" Aang said.

"If you really want it to feel like old times, I could, uh... chase you around a while and try to capture you." Zuko said jokingly. The entire group laughed except for Katara.

"Ha, ha." She said sarcastically. Sokka raised his cup.

"To Zuko! Who knew after all those times he tried to snuff us out, today he'd be our hero?" Sokka said. We held up our cups, except for Katara.

"Hear! Hear!" We cheered.

"I'm touched. I don't deserve this." Zuko said.

"Yeah, no kidding." Katara said angrily before walking away.

"What's with her?" Sokka wondered.

"I wish I knew." Zuko said. He got up and followed her.

"What's with him?" Sokka said. I shrugged and got up, sneaking after them.

"This isn't fair! Everyone else seems to trust me now! What is it with you?"

"Oh, everyone trusts you now! I was the first person to trust you! Remember, back in Ba Sing Se. And you turned around and betrayed me, betrayed all of us!"

"What can I do to make it up to you?"

"You really want to know? Hmm, maybe you could reconquer Ba Sing Se in the name of the Earth King. Or, I know! You could bring my mother back!" Katara yelled. I ducked behind a rock as she stormed away. I walked forward and touched Zuko's shoulder.

"Don't blame yourself." I said. Zuko sighed.

"I know. I just want her to stop hating me." Zuko said. I shrugged.

"We could go ask Sokka about it." I suggested.

* * *

We accidentally ran into Suki on our way to confront Sokka.

"Oops, wrong tent!" She said, embarrassed. I smirked.

"Sorry, do you need to talk to Sokka, too?" Zuko asked, oblivious.

"Nope, not me." She said, scurrying off. I snickered. Zuko entered the tent and I followed. A look of shock was spread across his face and he covered my eyes.

"Well, hello... Uh, Zuko! Avery! Yes, why would I be expecting anyone different? So what's on your mind?" Sokka asked. Zuko dropped his hand and I blinked a few times.

"Your sister. She hates me! And I don't know why, but I do care what she thinks of me."

"Nah, she doesn't hate you. Katara doesn't hate anyone. Except maybe some people in the Fire Nation." His eyes widened as he realized his mistake. "No, I mean, uh, not people who are good, but used to be bad. I mean, bad people. Fire Nation people who are still bad, who've never been good and probably won't be, ever!"

"Stop. Okay, listen. I know this may seem out of nowhere, but I want you to tell me what happened to your mother."

"What? Why would you want to know that?" Sokka asked.

"Katara mentioned it before when we were imprisoned together in Ba Sing Se, and again just now when she was yelling at me. I think somehow she's connected her anger at that to her anger at me."

"She did." I said, leaning back on my elbows.

"It's not a day I like to remember." Sokka said. He began describing the day. "Many of the warriors had seen the black snow before and they knew what it meant: a Fire Nation raid. We were badly outnumbered, but somehow, we managed to drive them off. As quickly as they came, they just left. I was so relieved when it was over, but that's because I didn't know yet what had happened. I didn't know we had lost our mother."

"Sokka, that's horrible." I said, placing a hand on his shoulder.

"Wait. Can you remember any details about the soldiers who raided your village? Like what the lead ship looked like?"

"Yeah... sea ravens. The main ship had flags with sea ravens on them."

"The symbol of the Southern Raiders. Thanks, Sokka." Zuko said. Sokka began urging us out of the tent.

"No problem. Thanks for stopping by!" We headed outside and began walking away. I counted down from three on my fingers and Sokka peeked his head out excitedly and whispered.

"Suki!" Unfortunately for him, we had barely taken two steps away from the tent and Zuko was looking curiously at Sokka. Sokka pretended to be completely oblivious and whistled. I laughed as we began walking away again.

"Use protection!" I called in a sing song voice. His face went red and Zuko sniggered.

* * *

"Zuko, what the hell are you doing?" I asked, emerging from my tent. "You can't seriously be waiting there all night."

"I need to talk to her immediately."

"Get some sleep first!" I said.

"No, I need to stay up."

"Zuko, I love you, but you're a moron." I said bluntly. He sighed as I walked back into my tent.

* * *

I sat on Appa as Aang fed the magical ten-ton sky bison hay. Sokka fiddled around with a flower necklace.

"Looks like somebody got lei'd." I joked. Sokka turned beat red. Katara and Zuko approached the bison, Zuko carrying a sack slung over his shoulder. I frowned.

"I need to borrow Appa." Katara said. I slid off said bison and crossed my arms.

"Why? Is it your turn to take a little field trip with Zuko?" Aang joked.

"Yes, it is." She said.

"Oh. What's going on?" Aang asked.

"We're going to find the man who took my mother from me." Katara said. Sokka paused and stood up, surprised.

"Sokka told Avery and me the story of what happened. I know who did it and I know how to find him." Zuko said.

"Um..." Aang began, but I spoke instead.

"And what exactly do you think this will accomplish?" I asked in a steely tone. Katara shook her head in dismay.

"Ugh, I knew you wouldn't understand." She began to walk away.

"I don't understand? Are you shitting me right now?" I snapped.

"Wait! Stop! I do understand. You're feeling unbelievable pain and rage. How do think I felt about the sandbenders when they stole Appa? How do you think I felt about the Fire Nation when I found out what happened to my people?" Aang said.

"And think of how I felt when I lost my family. When I lost my friends. When my dad took me away from Zuko and Iroh. When-"

"She needs this, Avery. This is about getting closure and justice." Zuko said.

"I don't think so." I said, laughing bitterly. "I think it's about getting revenge."

"Fine, maybe it is! Maybe that's what I need! Maybe that's what he deserves!" Katara exclaimed.

"Katara, you sound like Jet." I said.

"It's not the same! Jet attacked the innocent."

"No shit!" I said.

"This man, he's a monster."

"Katara, she was my mother, too, but I think Aang might be right." Sokka said.

"Then you didn't love her the way I did!" Katara yelled.

"Katara!" Sokka gasped, hurt. Sokka had to physically restrain me, holding my arms together behind my back, so that I didn't punch her.

"The monks used to say that revenge is like a two-headed rat viper. While you watch your enemy go down, you're being poisoned yourself." Aang said calmly.

"That's cute, but this isn't air temple preschool. It's the real world." Zuko said.

"Now that I know he's out there... now that I know we can find him, I feel like I have no choice."

"Katara, you do have a choice: forgiveness." Aang said. I sucked in a heavy breath and Sokka let me go, sensing that I had calmed down enough not to attack.

"That's the same as doing nothing!" Zuko said.

"No, it's not. It's easy to do nothing, but it's hard to forgive." Aang said.

"It's not just hard, it's impossible." She walked away, Zuko following behind. He glanced back at me, but I shook my head, gritting my teeth, crossing my arms, and looking at the ground.

"Avery, are you alright?" Aang asked.

"No." I said. "I can't accept that Zuko and Katara are making themselves into monsters."

* * *

"So you were just gonna take Appa anyway?" Aang said as he, Sokka, and I emerged from behind a rock.

"Yes."

"It's okay, because I forgive you." Aang paused. "That give you any ideas?"

"Don't try to stop us." Katara said.

"I wasn't planning to. This is a journey you need to take. You need to face this man." Katara situated herself on Appa's head. "But when you do, please don't choose revenge. Let your anger out, and then let it go. Forgive him."

"Okay, we'll be sure to do that, guru goody-goody." Zuko said sarcastically. He went to touch me, but I ripped away.

"Don't." I said. He sighed and climbed up onto Appa.

"Thanks for understanding, Aang. Yip-yip." Appa took flight; Aang and Sokka looked up at the departing bison while I stared at the ground.

"You know, you're pretty wise for a kid." Sokka said.

"Thanks, Sokka."

"Usually it's annoying, but right now, I'm impressed." Sokka admitted. I rolled my eyes, smiling slightly.

"I appreciate that." Aang said.

"So, can I borrow Momo for a week?" Sokka suddenly asked.

"Why do you need Momo?" Sokka shrugged.

"Avery, you look horrible." Sokka noted aloud.

"Gee, thanks." I said sarcastically.

"That's not what I m-"

"I know, Sokka. I just can't stomach what they're about to do. I mean, I've killed someone before. But I was a different person." I said. I dropped my gaze from the sky to the ground again. "But they... they're good. I just... I don't get it."

"We don't either." Aang said. I sniffled.

"Come on, we all need some sleep."

* * *

I looked up from the boardwalk as Appa returned. I frowned, got up, and walked away, passing by Zuko on the way.

"Avery, wait!" He said. I continued walking. He grabbed my wrist and I turned, furious.

"I know what it's like to kill someone, how much guilt comes with it. So are you happy now, Zuko? Now that you have someone's blood on your hands?" I snapped, eyes watering. I shook my head, long hair whipping back and forth at my stomach. "Zuko, I don't get it, how could yo-"

"I didn't."

"Yeah, Katara did, but you hel-"

"No. Yon Rha is still alive. Katara forgave him." Zuko explained. My eyes widened.

"Wait, really?"

"Not lying." He said. I nodded a couple of times. "Am I allowed to touch you now?"

"If you must." I joked, grinning. I stepped forward into his arms, wrapping my arms around his chest and sighing.

"I'm sorry." Zuko said, resting his chin on my head. "I should've listened to you."

"Like I said a long while ago, I'm half spirit shirshu, you should listen to my gut feeling." I said. Zuko laughed.

* * *

"Katara? Are you okay?" Aang asked as we approached her on the boardwalk. She looked up from where she had been swishing her feet in the water.

"I'm doing fine." She said.

"Zuko told me what you did. Or what you didn't do, I guess. I'm proud of you." Aang told her.

"I wanted to do it. I wanted to take out all my anger at him, but I couldn't. I don't know if it's because I'm too weak to do it or because I'm strong enough not to." Katara admitted.

"You did the right thing. Forgiveness is the first step you have to take to begin healing." Aang said. Katara stood.

"But I didn't forgive him. I'll never forgive him." She smiled at Zuko and walked up to him. "But I am ready to forgive you."

The two hugged and Katara began walking away.

"You were right about what Katara needed. Violence wasn't the answer." Zuko said.

"It never is."

"Then I have a question for you." Zuko turned to look at him. "What are you gonna do when you face my father?"

* * *

_**Yay, they didn't kill Yon Rha. Though that jerk deserves to go down...**_

_**Disclaimer:...**_

_**OH MA SPIRITS, EMBER ISLAND PLAYERS IS NEXT CHAPTER, AND AHHH! **_

_**So, what'd you think?**_


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